That Temptress, Adventure
by shoshal-network
Summary: Rose has grown up reading Harry Potter and like most children longs to receive her Hogwarts letter. One day she gets a certain parchment envelope in the post. AU where Hogwarts and the Harry Potter novels both exist
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: this fic takes place in an AU where both Hogwarts (and the Wizarding World) and the Harry Potter novels exist._

* * *

The Watsons of 5 Pemberley Lane were proud to say that they were perfectly unusual, thank you very much. They were just the sort of people to be caught up in unusual things, because they thought they were really great fun. Professor Charlotte Watson taught English Literature at Oxford University with a focus on Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen (hence the necessity of living on Pemberley Lane). Her husband, Dr. William Watson, was a naturalist, which apparently still exists in the 21st century. He oversaw the badger census that occurs yearly around Oxford, as well as taught classes on evolutionary biology.

"Rose, Ash, do you know what today is?" William asked his children from his place chopping vegetables in the kitchen. Ash, who was cracking eggs into a large bowl, shook his head. From her place curled on the couch reading _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ , Rose looked up.

"It's the second day of the summer holiday."

"Well yes, that is true," William conceded, "though I did have something else in mind. Well, anyone?" The two children shook their heads. "Tonight, my progeny, is the night we finish the final Harry Potter novel."

"Nooooooo," groaned Rose.

"My dear child, why would such news upset you?"

"Because once it's over it will be over forever. It'll be saying goodbye to this amazing world that we've lived in for the past few years. And I don't want to leave."

"So you would rather leave the last few chapter forever unread?"

"No. I just don't want it to end."

"Understandable, but everything must come to an end my dear."

Rose spent the rest of the evening both dreading and anticipating their nightly reading session. She sat silently through dinner, barely listening to her family talk about plans for their summer holiday and what book they should read next. All she could focus on was those last two chapters that remained in the book sitting on the coffee table. She wanted to know what happened to Harry, Hermione, and Ron, but at the same time never wanted to leave the Wizarding World that had begun to feel like home. She was afraid of shutting the book and never knowing anything more of Hogwarts, about magical creatures and wizarding history. It would be like saying goodbye to a best friend for a very long while. They could see each other in the future, but it would never really be the same.

* * *

"…All was well." The family sat in silence. From her place in her favourite armchair Charlotte sniffled. Rose and Jonah, from where they sat perched on the back of the sofa looked shell-shocked. William slowly closed the book and placed it on the coffee table. Minutes passed, or at least it seemed like it. Rose got up.

"I'm going to bed."

"What's the matter, love?" Charlotte asked, rising to hug her daughter. Rose shimmied out of her embrace.

"Nothing, I'm just tired, good night." She resigned herself to be kissed on the forehead by both of her parents and then trudged upstairs. As Rose brushed her teeth she felt empty. It was the hollow feeling that she always got after finishing a great book, but somehow this felt different. She would read Harry Potter again in the future, she understood that, but it wouldn't be the same. She would never have that same some of discovery, of newness. No matter how she tried she would never again be immersed into that mesmerising world that JK Rowling had created.

* * *

This fic will be updated weekly with Rose's adventures


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: I've changed Jonah's name to Ash in order to keep with the plant theme of the kids' names. And I've decided to post this early, but don't get used to it :)_

Rose awoke to the smell of freshly baking bread, which in her opinion was a pretty good way to greet the day. She flopped her legs onto the floor, her torso still resting on the bed. She slowly pushed herself up so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Gathering all of her strength she stood up. Needless to say, Rose was not a morning person. She also had not slept well, she had woken several times throughout the night, pushed into consciousness by dreams that she could not remember. This was pretty out of the ordinary, as she always remembered her dreams in vivid detail.

She shuffled down the corridor and brushed her teeth, eyeing the purple shadows beneath her eyes. Rose dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of jean shorts and a shirt that read _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_ , it had been a 10th birthday present from her parents the previous year. At the sound of her tramping feet on the staircase her father called out.

"Another country heard from! Morning Rosie," he kissed her proffered forehead. "How did you sleep?"

"Terribly, I had weird dreams that I can't remember."

"No flight?" She shook her head. "How odd," her father remarked. Ever since she could remember Rose had spent some portion of every night's dreams soaring through the air. The egg timer on the windowsill dinged. "Ah, that'll be the bread. Maybe some fresh bread and butter will cheer you up." He bent to retrieve the crusty loaves from oven.

"Where are mum and Ash?" Rose asked as she fetched orange juice from the refrigerator.

"Your brother is taking full advantage of the summer holiday and is playing football with his mates. Your mother, bless her, is in the library."

"But it's summer," Rose said, her mouth full of bread.

"You're preaching to the choir, my dear. But she woke up at some ungodly hour with a brilliant idea about lightning imagery in victorian literature and ran to the library as soon as it opened. My guess is she'll be there all day."

"Wow, and I thought I was a nerd."

"Where do you think you get it."

"I always thought I got it from you?" Rose smirked.

"Oi! That's no way to speak of your dad." He munched on the warm bread. "What are you up to today?"

"Ben and I are going to cycle to the library and along the river. I'll probably be back for lunch."

"Ok, be careful." William looked at her closely. This was more than a casual parental warning. Several months ago Rose and her best friend Ben had been biking through the streets of Oxford when a car had run a red light and crashed into her. She had flown several feet in the air before smashing into the pavement with such force that her helmet cracked. She had sat up, seen her mangled bike and had run over to it. Horrified bystanders had dialled 999, despite her protestations that she was fine. An ambulance took her to A&E, where a doctor had confirmed that she was, in fact, fine. She was a little bruised, but was not in any pain. Rose had heard the doctor whispering to her parents that this must have been some sort of miracle, because she should have been dead. She had no lasting damage from the accident, and it was now just a good story and a fading memory. But ever since that day her parents had always been a little worried about her biking through the street, thinking that no one could ever be that lucky twice. Hence, the entreaties to watch out.

"I always am, dad." She smiled and gave him a quick hug before dashing out the door, a helmet in one hand, and a book in the other. Rose buckled her helmet on tightly and rode down the street to Ben's house. Ben and Rose had been best friends since they were three, when Ben's parents had moved into the house three doors down from the Watson's. They had been inseparable ever since, doing everything together: riding their bikes to school, eating lunch together with their other friends, and did their schoolwork together at each other's houses. But as much time as they spent with each other during term, it paled in comparison to their summer adventures. They planned to spend their days riding bikes along the river, where they would swim once it got a bit warmer, they would explore Oxford's museums, and get behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum of Natural History where William was a curator. But the most important part of the summer holiday was the library. Both of them were voracious readers, and so they went to the library every other day in order to get new books.

Ben was waiting by the front gate of his house with his bicycle, helmet on, one foot on the ground and the other on a pedal. As soon as he saw Rose, he pushed off. She quickly caught up with him. They rode in silence, they were the type of friends who just relished in each other's company and new that they did not need to fill every moment with words. They rode with the wind in their hair and the sun on their faces and that indescribable feeling of freedom that means summer.

When they reached the library they quickly locked up their bikes and headed into the cool, quiet, world of books. The head librarian was sitting at the front desk, he looked up when they came in. Professor D was a man of about 70 with a shock of bright white hair and kindly eyes half-hidden behind round tortoiseshell spectacles. He had been the head librarian of the main Oxford library for decades, and when he had retired he began to work at the local public library. Rose had known him since she was a child, and he was like a grandfather to her. It had been he who had given her _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_ for her eighth birthday. Every other day of their summer holiday Rose and Ben would come to the library for their books. Professor D would give each of them a book, which would be read that day, and then the day after they would swap and read the other book. They repeated this ritual throughout the summer.

"Good morning Ms Watson, Mr Young. I have been expecting you." His tone was foreboding, but they could see the tiny smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth and the twinkle in his eyes. "Thoughts on the first batch?" On the first day of the summer holiday they had rushed over to the library first thing in the morning.

"I loved _The Secret of Platform 13_ " Rose said, "it was amazing. I also read one of the _Sherlock Holmes_ stories you recommended. And _Ella Enchanted_ was fun, but not my favorite. Professor D nodded, and turned to Ben, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"I definitely liked _The Secret of Platform 13_ more than _Ella Enchanted_ , it was too much of a girls book for me."

"My dear Mr Young, books are not gendered, you need only be a person with humanity to appreciate words." While his words were reproachful, his voice was kind. Ben nodded in understanding. "Now, for today," he paused, his eyes narrowing, "Ms Watson, what is the matter, you seem rather melancholic this morning." Rose looked up, startled by the question.

"I'm alright, I guess. We finished Harry Potter last night, and now it's done forever and I already miss it!" Her voice cracked on the last few words, which she tried to hide with a cough.

"Ah, but my dear, you know that you can always return to the books, you can reread them one hundred times. Which actually brings me to today's books. Now I know you've read one of these already, but it should help cheer you up." He drew two paperbacks from underneath his large mahogany desk and slid them across towards the children's waiting hands. "For you Mr Young, _A Wrinkle and Time_ , and for you Ms Watson, _Matilda_ , I know that's one of your favorites."

"Thank you Professor D," they chorused, "see you in a few days." He nodded and said his goodbyes before they left the library for the bright sunshine of the outside world. They trotted to their bikes, the books clutched in their hands.

"So you finished Harry Potter last night?" Ben asked as they swung onto their bikes. Rose nodded her ascent. "And you're upset about it." It was not a question, but a simple statement of fact. Again, she nodded. "I was too," he laughed, "you remember?" Ben had only been allowed to read Harry Potter once he turned 10, so he had spent the year flying through the novels in order to catch up to the Watsons. He had gone a little too quickly and ended up finishing the final book about a month previously.

"You were a mess," Rose chuckled, "you had this haunted look and you kept saying 'what am I going to do with my life?' I thought it was hysterical, but now I get it." They spent the rest of their bike ride talking about the ending, what they'd thought and what they would have changed. They discussed what house they would be in if they went to Hogwarts: they agreed that they would both have been immediately sorted into Ravenclaw. "Nerds forever!" They had yelled out.

Talking with Ben numbed some of the lost feeling she had deep in her stomach, and she was able to keep her mind off of the fact that William would not be reading anything to them that night.

They spent the rest of the day biking along the river. They had popped into Ben's house for a few minutes to grab some lunch and had eaten it under a tree, both of their noses contentedly in their books.

Rose lay in bed, _Matilda_ propped open in front of her. She finished the final chapter and placed it on the table by her bedside. Then, like every child (and adult, if we're being perfectly honest) she thought about trying to move something with her mind, just like Matilda had. She stared at her bookshelf, trying to find the perfect book. She chose a slim volume and concentrated. She envisioned the book rising from the shelf and flying into her hands. She _pulled_ with her eyes, willing the book to come to her.

And then it did.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mum, Dad! Oh my god, you'll never guess what just happened!" Rose hurtled down the stairs, startling her parents where they sat reading on the couch.

"Is everything alright?" William asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. You know how in Matilda she can move stuff with her mind? So I was lying in bed and I tried it and it worked!" She spoke rapidly, almost too fast for her parents to understand her.

"Rosie, slow down. What are you talking about?" Her mother looked worried. Rosie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Ok," breath, "remember how in Matilda she can focus her mind and move stuff? So I just did it. I picked up a book _with my mind!_ "

"Sweetie, I think that might have been a dream," her father said gently. "It's pretty late, maybe you fell asleep without realizing it."

"It wasn't a dream, I know it wasn't, it was too real." Rose saw her parents exchange a look over her head. "Fine, I'm going back to bed." After accepting her parents hugs and kisses she trudged back upstairs. She knew that it had not been a dream, it was too real. She could just feel that it had actually happened. Of course she could not explain it, but still knew that she had actually moved a book with her mind. She fell asleep, happy in the knowledge that something extraordinary had happened.

Weekends always lose some of their magic during the summer holiday, because, well, basically everyday is the weekend. But in the Watson household the weekends were slightly different from the rest of the week. Charlotte and William were more than happy to have their progeny run around Oxford with their friends throughout the week, but they did request that they spent the weekends at home, or at least in the company of the family. Some weekends they all went on a trip, out into the countryside, or to the sea, or into London to go to museums. But more often than not they simply stayed at home and spent Saturday and Sunday cooking and reading and shopping together. Most importantly, Charlotte and William slept in.

"So, what are we making again?" Rose was perched on a kitchen stool watching Ash rifle through the recipe book.

"Well, it's the first Saturday of the summer, so we should do something special. Scones?" Ash was 13 and therefore in charge of leading the breakfast-making effort.

"Too complicated, and are we even allowed to use the oven by ourselves?"

"Yeah, but better safe than sorry. Pancakes?" He began to pull ingredients out of the cupboard. "Can you go outside and get eggs?" Rose hopped off of her stool and grabbed the small wicker basket that was hanging from a hook by the kitchen door. The family had a small chicken coop in their back garden that was home to two hens. The Watsons were primarily a nerdy family, so when it came time to name the hens they had chosen "Sherlock" (they thought Sherlock Watson was just too good to pass up) and "Crick" (the thinking because similar).

Rose collected the two eggs and said good morning to the hens before returning to the kitchen. Ash had started mixing the pancake batter and quickly added the two fresh eggs to the mix. Rose turned on the radio, and they hummed along as they worked. Because Ash was older he tended the pan: flipping pancakes with intense concentration. When all the pancakes were done they quickly readied a tray with 4 plates and mugs, forks and knives, and jam. Rose carefully carried the teapot, walking slowly as to not spill anything. They walked upstairs to their parents bedroom, knocked and went in. Charlotte and William were sitting up in bed reading: Charlotte was almost finished with _Middlemarch_ and William was reading _The New Yorker_.

"Good morning!" William called out as he placed his magazine on his bedside table.

"Oh my, what have you made for us today?" Charlotte's face lit up as she saw the food. "This looks marvelous darlings, well done." There was a great reorganizing of pillows and limbs and then everyone was situated with a plate and a mug. Sounds of morning chit-chat were replaced by contented chewing and sipping. "I thought we'd stay at home today, do some work in the garden and maybe have a tea party later. And then go into London tomorrow?" Charlotte said after swallowing the last of her pancakes.

"Sounds good to me," William said. "Alright with you two?" Both children nodded. "Everyone finish eating, then go get dressed, and then we shall reconvene in 15 minutes." The children scampered off, leaving their parents to deal with cleaning up after breakfast.

Several minutes later everyone was sitting in the kitchen, each dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Charlotte wore a large sunhat. Tasks were doled out: weeding, pruning, and most importantly: lemonade duty. The four Watsons spent the morning in the garden, Charlotte and William bursting into song every once in awhile, which embarrassed Rose and Ash to no end.

Around 11 the doorbell rang. Rose, who was in the kitchen fetching lemonade, went to answer the door. Standing on the threshold was a woman about Charlotte's age. Her curly hair was clipped back from her face and she was wearing a sundress. Rose saw the glint of a gold band on her ring finger.

"Hello," the woman said. "You must be Rose." She extended her hand, "My name is Hermione."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hi," Rose tentatively shook her hand. "I've never met anyone your age with that name, only really little kids." The woman laughed.

"Yes, it's funny how that works, isn't it?" She adjusted the bag on her shoulder, "are your parents home? I need to speak with them, and you."

"Sure, one second." Rose left Hermione standing on the doorstep and ran out to the garden. "Mum, dad! There's a woman at the door who wants to talk to you." Charlotte turned to William.

"We're not expecting anyone, are we?" William shook his head. They both took off their gardening gloves and followed Rose into the house and out to the front door. Hermione was still standing there, looking up and down the street. She turned when she heard their footsteps. Her face lit up with a smile, and she extended her hand.

"Professor Watford, pleasure to meet you." Charlotte was puzzled, but shook Hermione's proffered hand. "And Dr. Benson. So nice to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger." Charlotte and William both smiled at that.

"That's not a name you here everyday. I know there are a bunch of Harry Potter's running around the world, but I'd have thought Hermione Granger would be rather rarer." Charlotte said. "Oh, and both of us go by 'Watson,' we combined our names when we got married."

"Oh, my apologies, I was given faulty information. I know this all seems rather out of the ordinary, but would it be alright if we went inside. I have some things I would like to discuss with you about Rose's education." Charlotte hesitated, but her sense of British politeness won out and she quickly ushered her in and offered tea. Once that had been made, the four of them sat at the kitchen table. Hermione took a deep breath.

"I'm not really sure how to begin, I've never done this before." Hermione took a sip from her tea. "You noticed my name, well, how do I put this? I am Hermione Granger, the one from the books." Rose, Charlotte, and William all stared at her.

"What do you mean?" Rose finally asked.

"Hogwarts is real. The books aren't fiction, at least not for the most part." She rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a letter. "This is for you." She handed it to Rose. Rose turned the letter over in her hands. It read _Rose Watson/ the upstairs Bedroom/ 5 Pemberly Lane/ Oxfordshire_ in green ink. She turned it over and found the envelope sealed with red wax, with the imprint of the Hogwarts crest stamped into it. Slowly she opened it and saw the text:

 _Dear Ms. Watson,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…_

"Is this a joke?" Rose turned from her parents to Hermione. "Is this because I was so upset that we'd finished the books?" Her parents scanned the letter.

"We had nothing to do with this," William said. He turned to Hermione, "what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, I'm doing a terrible job of explaining, I've never done this before. Basically, there is a Wizarding World. Slightly different from the ones Joan wrote about in her books, but real nonetheless. When a witch or wizard is muggleborn, like you Rose, an adult is sent to deliver the letter and explain the contents and other logistical things."

"I don't believe you." Rose was sitting at the table with her arms crossed over her chest, a scowl on her face. "Prove it."

"Alright, I understand." Hermione pulled a wand from her pocket. Rose's eyes widened. "What spell would you like me to do?"

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Rose responded. And with a swish and a flick Hermione sent the letter rising above the table. Rose's eyes widened.

"Oh my god. Oh my god I'm going to Hogwarts!" She got up and started running around the kitchen. "I'm going to do magic and go to Hogwarts. I'm a witch!" Charlotte and William sat staring at the letter that hung, suspended in midair.

"Did I give birth to a witch?" Charlotte asked, dumbfounded. William nodded. "That is probably the most amazing thing I have ever done." She turned to William and smiled. "This is wildly ridiculous, but positively fabulous." He nodded "Rosie, love, come sit back down." Rose slowed her mad circles and came to sit in her chair once again. She bounced in her chair, obviously bursting with questions.

"Rose," Hermione's face turned serious. "I know that this is probably the coolest thing that has ever happened to you, and that you want to run off and tell all of your friends and scream it from the rooftops. But you can't. This needs to stay a secret." She turned to Charlotte and William, "you'll tell people that Rose has been accepted to a prestigious boarding school up north, called The Horris School of Arts and Sciences. There's a fake website which looks very legitimate, and I've brought brochures for you to keep if anyone asks. I know that keeping this a secret is difficult, it was the hardest part of attending Hogwarts when I was a student there, but it's necessary."

"Can I tell Ben? He won't tell anyone. He's really good with secrets." Rose asked, concern marking her words."

"Who's Ben?" Hermione asked.

"My best friend forever, and I have to tell him."

"Alright, but only Ben. And you have to make sure he doesn't tell anyone else. Ok?" Rose nodded.

"Can I ask you a question?" Rose asked. Hermione nodded. "Are you actually married to Ron?" Hermione laughed.

"Rosie, it's not polite to pry into other people's personal lives." William admonished.

"Oh, no it's quite alright. Yes, we are indeed married. For the most part Joan was faithful to our actual love story. Though we're both a bit peeved that he's been portrayed in a less, how shall I say, _intelligent_ way than he is in reality. May the record show that my husband is a pretty smart cookie. And not as vaguely sexist as he is in the books. Anymore questions?"

"A million! What's it like to fly on a broom?" Rose's head was filled with visions of her soaring through the air, it would be like riding a bike, but 100 times better.

"I'm not much of a flyer to tell you the truth. But you'll start flying lessons once you get to school, so you'll know soon enough."

Rose prattled on, and Hermione with the patience of a saint (or a parent) answered them all. And then fun questions flowed into boring logistics: how to get wizard money, how to keep in contact with Rose once she got to Hogwarts, term dates, and the like. Hermione offered to take them the next day to Diagon Alley so Rose could buy her school supplies, and Rose enthusiastically accepted. They planned to meet each other in central London the next morning. Before leaving Hermione gave them her mobile number. When they were puzzled with why she had one she answered.

"I use it to keep in touch with my parents and muggle friends."

"Where has everyone gone?" Ash appeared at the doorway to the kitchen, "has the Queen come to tea?" Ash was currently in a phase where he thought himself immensely clever. The family stood in silence, unsure of what to say. Finally, Hermione broke the silence. She strode over to Ash and extended her hand.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger, how do you do?"

"Hi, I'm Ash. Why is everyone so quiet?"

"Because I'm a witch and I'm going to Hogwarts!" Rose practically screamed. She grabbed her Hogwarts letter from the table and thrust it at Ash. "Read it!" Ash quickly scanned the letter.

"Wicked! My sister's a witch!" His face turned serious, "you better not be sorted into Hufflepuff."

Hermione turned on the threshold.

"It was so lovely to meet you all today, I look forward to tomorrow."

"Are you going to apparate home?" Rose asked.

"I am indeed, it does make travel frightfully easily. Bye now." Hermione was halfway down the front walk when Rosie darted from the front door and hugged Hermione.

"Thank you. Today was the best day ever."

"It's my pleasure, my dear. I'll see you tomorrow. Shall I tell Ron that you say hello?" Rosie nodded enthusiastically, and Hermione laughed. "Alright then, it's been lovely meeting all of you."

As soon as the door shut the four of them screamed, at the exact same moment,

"We have a witch in the family!"

 _Author's note: this is not the last we'll see of Hermione, and she will be answering more questions about the wizarding world. If anyone has questions they'd like to see answered, comment on the story!_

 _Also, I'm going on holiday soon and wifi will be spotty, so no promises that another chapter will be posted this week._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After Hermione left, a strange silence settled over the house. Upon finding out that the world is not as expected, it is frankly impossible to go back to gardening and pretend that the world has not shifted on its axis. The four of them drifted, like unmoored ships, into the living room. Now that the initial adrenaline rush had subsided, they were left deflated. Charlotte collapsed into her armchair, while William and Ash fell onto the couch. Rose, however, was still on the high that had begun as soon as she had opened her Hogwarts letter. She bounced on the balls of her feet and swung her arms backwards and forwards.

"Well then." Charlotte spoke, and her simple words, like some sort of incantation, broke the spell that seemed to have bound them.

"That was, unexpected, interesting?" William hedged. "How is everyone feeling?"

"Amazing!" Rose stopped her bouncing. "This was the best day ever." She suddenly became quiet and her eyes widened. "I have to go tell Ben." She turned to run for the door, until she was stopped by Charlotte.

"Rosie, love." She patted the arm of her chair. "Come sit for a minute." Rose's face fell, but she came and sat by her mother. "Rose, I know that this is really very exciting for you, it's exciting for all of us. We're all so very pleased, this is so incredible. And I know you're ready to plunge into this adventure at this moment, and we're right behind you, but you need to take a minute to think about everything that's going to happen now. Do you understand?" Rose shrugged.

"I guess?"

"Well," Charlotte began. "Our whole world has been turned a bit on its head, hasn't it?" She chuckled. "And it's truly wonderful, but for us," she paused, " _muggles_ , it sure is a lot to take in. Besides for the idea that you're going all the way to Scotland, which will be very difficult for your mum and dad, there's a whole new world that we need to wrap our heads around. You'll also need to get used to a whole new language, not literally of course, but a whole new way of seeing the world. This might not be the simplest and easiest thing."

"But Hermione will help me, right?"

"Of course my dear. As will we, with whatever we can."

"Can I go tell Ben now?" Rose made to stand up, but Charlotte put out a hand to stop her. She turned to William, and with that uncanny ability married couples have, conveyed, with her eyes, _you take this one_. William cleared his throat.

"Listen Roise, this very exciting and wonderful news might be hard for Ben to hear, for a lot of reasons. Firstly, you're going to be going very far away, which will be hard for all of us, including you and Ben. Secondly, well, he didn't get his Hogwarts letter when he turned eleven, and finding out that Hogwarts does indeed exist, might make him sad and a little hurt-"

"But that's not my fault!" Rose interjected.

"Of course not, but I think what your mother is getting at is that you should take a day to get all your thoughts and feelings in order, just so you're more, um, relaxed when you talk to Ben."

"I am relaxed!" Rose cried. At this Ash, who had been sitting silently, laughed.

"I wouldn't say that Rose, you're pretty excited, you're practically vibrating over there trying to sit still.

"Fine," Rose threw her hands in the air, "I'll wait to tell him tomorrow. It's not like I was going to rub his face in it."

"Of course not love, but just get used to all of these for a day or so before you say anything."

"Fine," Rose sighed.

"I'm hungry," Ash said. "What's for dinner?"

After dinner Rose collapsed on the couch, the adrenaline finally gone from her system. William and Charlotte washed dishes while Ash sat curled in an armchair reading.

"Rosie, do you want to go to bed? You have a big day ahead of you." William called from the kitchen.

"Nooo, I'm not sleepy."

"No, definitely not," William replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "Shall we watch a film and then all go to bed?" This idea was met with heavy ascent. They figured that the first Harry Potter film was fitting, and they all snuggled onto the couch to watch it.

"I wonder what house you'll be in," Ash mused. His eyes widened, "what if you're a Hufflepuff!"

"Never! I'll be sitting there thinking _not Hufflepuff, not Hufflepuff_."

"Oi, since when did I raise such snobs?" Charlotte laughed. "We'll be pleased with wherever you go Rosie. You could be placed in no house and I think we'd still all be pretty over the moon." Charlotte looked at her watch. "Off to bed with the lot of you! We rise tomorrow at 7:30." Ash and Rose accepted hugs and kisses from their parents and then trotted upstairs to bed.

Soon after the children had gone upstairs, William went upstairs and knocked on Ash's door. He walked in and saw Ash in bed reading a book. He looked up as his father entered and came to sit on his bed.

"How are you doing Ash?" William asked.

"I'm fine, a little sleepy."

"I mean with all of this," he waved his hand in the air, "finding out that the wizarding world exists and that your sister is a witch."

"Oh. Well, still fine. I mean, I'm excited for her, she's been dreaming about going to Hogwarts since we started reading the books. And to have it all be possible is pretty cool. I was a little jealous I guess."

"Yeah?"

"But I'm over it. I was also never as so fully obsessed with the books as Rose. You know that I loved them, but they weren't my whole world. And there's no use dwelling on the fact that I didn't get a letter, I might as well just be happy for her." He said with a shrug.

"How old are you again?" William asked with a chuckle. "You sure are mature for your age, are you sure you're not my age? Because let me tell you, I am peeved that I never got my letter." They both laughed. "I'm glad you're alright, but if you're not, you know that you can always speak to me or mum, right?" Ash nodded.

"Good night, dad."

Charlotte and William lay in bed, unopened books on their laps. They stayed in silence, not sure what to say.

"That was quite a day, I feel as though someone has told me that Santa is real." Charlotte said with a laugh.

"It does feel a bit like that. I'm thrilled, but also keep thinking it's a dream, that we'll wake up and none of this will have happened, and we'll just go forward with our lives the way they always have been."

"But that's the crazy thing, we're not dreaming. But I think the hardest thing to wrap my mind around isn't the witches and magic and Hogwarts, but the idea that our little girl is going so far away. I need more time to emotionally prepare for this." William held her hand.

"She'll be ok, she's always been independent. And she'll come home for Christmas. We are not letting her stay, at least not her first year."

"Agreed, we all do Christmas here, just like we always have." She sighed, "I'm just glad that Ash is ok. To be honest, I'm worried about how Ben is going to take it."

Rose lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, her body exhausted, but her mind completely alert. How was she supposed to sleep? Because tomorrow she was going to Diagon Alley.

 _Author's note: I'm going to try to post another chapter or two in the next few days in anticipation of me going away for a few weeks where I might not have time to update. No promises though!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Rose had been convinced that she would not be able to sleep, but suddenly it was dawn and weak light was filtering in through her bedroom curtains. She glanced at the clock next to her bed: 6:27, she did not need to be up for another hour, but she had been woken by the butterflies in her stomach. She remembered her dreams this morning, and they had been full of flight. Normally in her dreams she simply floated and soared about, but this times she had ridden on a broomstick as she wizzed high above the ground. She wondered if she would play Quidditch when she got to Hogwarts.

She tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but to no avail. Rose sat up and regarded her bookshelf. On the middle shelf were her Harry Potter books, a box set that her parents has given her as a birthday present the year before. Of course the best possible preparation for going to Diagon Alley would be to read about it, so Rose moved to get out of bed. But then she had a better idea. She looked at the book, stared at it, imagined it lifting off of the shelf and floating towards her outstretched arm…

And nothing happened.

Rose's heart sped up and her breath turned shallow. She tried again. And again. With each successive attempt she became more rattled. After a few minutes of trying in vain to levitate the book she jumped out of bed and ran into her parents room in a panic.

Charlotte and William were curled around each other on their bed, fast asleep, but with the sound of Rose's footsteps on the wood floors they stirred. William, who was on the side of the bed closest to the door opened his eyes.

"What's the matter?" He muttered, his voice thick with sleep.

"It's not working!" Rose cried, "I-I can't do magic anymore." She swiped at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Rosie?" Charlotte rolled over. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember how I moved the book with my mind?"

"Oh my god, that was real." Charlotte realized. She sat up.

"Well, I t-tried to do it again this morning, but I couldn't. I tried like ten times, but it didn't work." She threw herself onto the bed. Both of her parents moved to hug her.

"Rosie," Charlotte started, "I think these little spurts of wandless magic are spontaneous and random. Or at least that's what I remember from the books."

"It means nothing about your abilities, don't worry. Ok?" William reassured her.

"Are, are you sure?" Rose hiccuped.

"No." William admitted, "But you got hit by a speeding car last year and survived without a scratch, and if that's not magical I don't know what is."

"That's a really good point," Charlotte said, "I guess that's what you weren't hurt. Everything is illuminated!" Rose laughed, her panic ebbing.

"Sorry for waking you."

"Parents are actually designed to be woken at ungodly hours," William joked. "But if you don't mind terribly we will head back to sleep for a bit longer." Rose nodded, accepted her parents kisses, and went back to her room.

She lay on top of her duvet and tried to sleep, but soon gave up. She wandered over to her wardrobe. Feeling slightly silly she stepped into it and pushed against the back wall. If Hogwarts was real, maybe Narnia was as well. But her hand only encountered wood. She laughed and backed out. Rose regarded her assembled clothes. She normally did not care at all what she wore: to school it was her uniform and during holidays and weekends she wore jeans and whatever shirt was at the top of her drawer, but today was a momentous occasion and she thought she should wear something special. She had a pair of fancy dres robes she's worn for Halloween the year before, but that seemed silly. Jeans would have to do, she hoped she wouldn't look too much like a muggle.

Rose, Charlotte, and William piled into the car. Ash was staying behind, Hermione had apologized and said that he technically wasn't allowed in Diagon Alley. He had accepted the news graciously and requested a full report when they returned. This also meant he was able to sleep past 7:30, which he was very pleased about.

They drove in silence, Charlotte concentrating on the road while William fiddled with the radio. The Beatles filled the car and they all hummed along. Rose sat on her hands and tried not to fidget too much. She had not eaten breakfast, her stomach had churned at the thought of food. As they neared the address Hermione had given them, Charlotte began looking for a place to park.

"Apparating would be so much easier than this, and greener. How rude of the wizarding world to not share their green technology, save the earth!" Charlotte grumbled. Rose and William laughed. "But honestly Rosie, you should bring it up to someone."

"It probably violates all those secrecy statutes, Mum."

"Good point, but I do love complaining." After a great deal of grumbling, turning, and quiet cursing that Rose was able to hear, they finally found a spot. They walked a few minutes to the address and immediately saw Hermione standing out front. She saw them and waved.

"Good morning Watsons!" She said with a smile. "Welcome to the _Leaky Cauldron_."

"Are you sure this is it?" William asked. "It looked abandoned."

"Oh good, the charms still work. It appears pretty dilapidated to muggles. I promise it's safe, come on in." She led them into the dim interior. As they entered she reached into her bag and pulled out a long blue cloak which she quickly put on.

Despite the unimposing exterior, the pub was lively and filled with people. The tables were populated with witches and wizards, all dressed in a colorful assortment of robes and cloaks. The air was filled with the smell of fresh bread and the sounds of laughter, chatter, and clanking from the kitchen. As they entered many people turned to look, and their gazes lingered. Many turned to their companions and spoke in hushed voices as they looked over their shoulders at the small group.

"I can't tell if their whispering because you're famous or because we're so obviously muggles." William said. Hermione laughed.

"It's probably a combination. One of the hazards of having your face on a chocolate frog card."

"Can we buy some?" Rose's face lit up.

"Of course, but first we should probably get the essentials."

"Hermione," Charlotte's voice was serious, "there is something you should know about our family now, chocolate is an essential." They all laughed.

"Well, in that case, we'd best get moving." She led them to the back of the pub and into a small courtyard with a brick wall. Hermione pulled out her wand from within the folds of her cloak and tapped it against the bricks. The bricks ground against one another and they slowly slid aside to reveal a wide and bustling avenue.

"Oh my." Rose said, her eyes wide.

"Rose, welcome to Diagon Alley."


	7. Chapter 7

Rose wished that she had more eyes so that she could take in every colorful inch of the new world that surrounded her. Charlotte and William stood beside her, mouths open, and eyes wide. The air was filled with the sounds of squawking birds, vendors calling out to passersby, and the gentle hum of activity that pervades every city. They followed Hermione up the street, past bookshops and restaurants, clothing stores and a shop with a window full of owl cages. Witches and wizards passed by in colorful robes and pointed hats, some pausing and staring at the group. Hermione led them to the top of the street, where an imposing marble edifice stood. Giant letter spelled out _Gringotts_ on the facade. They walked through the heavy doors and into the cool interior. As the doors closed behind them, the noises of the street were blocked out, and they were left in relative silence. The only sounds were those of quills scratching on parchment, shoes clicking on the marble floors, hushed voices, and the quiet clink of coins being weighed.

Hermione walked them over to an empty counter, behind which sat a goblin. Rose tried not to stare. He had small black eyes, like two jelly beans, and his mouth was like a small gash in his face. The main event of his face was a large nose that hooked down so far that it practically touched his thin upper lip.

"Yes?" His voice was like the sound of walking on gravel. He narrowed his eyes as he surveyed Hermione. It was obvious he recognized her. He regarded Charlotte and William, taking in their muggle clothing. "I take it you need to convert some money."

"Yes, we've brought a check." Charlotte rummaged in her purse and pulled out the piece of paper. She slid it across the desk. The goblin examined it for a moment, and then turned his chair.

"They don't particularly like me here, seeing as I freed their dragon and destroyed their roof," Hermione murmured when the goblin had his back to them. Rose giggled, and the sound echoed across the large hall. Heads turned to stare at them, and Rose blushed.

"Sorry." She whispered. The goblin turned back to them, a small pouch of money clutched in his long fingers. He handed it across the table without a word. And then ignoring them, turned to his other work, filling a large parchment notebook with letters and figures. "Thank you." Rose said, to no response.

"Goblins aren't the friendliest," Hermione explained as they walked out, "but they don't mean much harm, usually."

They walked back into the sunny and bustling outside world. Charlotte drew Rose's supplies list from her bag.

"We sure have a lot to buy. Hermione, where should we start?"

"I rather think a wand is in order." She smiled at Rose. "How does that sound?" Rose was too excited to respond, she simply nodded her head so fast it looked as though it would fall off her shoulders. Hermione laughed, "in that case, we'd best go to Ollivanders."

They walked back down the road, this time stopping every few feet to peer into the shops. Rose saw windows filled with cauldrons, plants she had never seen, beautiful robes made of silk and velvet, and a bookstore with every inch of the shop stuffed with leather bound volumes. They reached a small storefront, its dusty windows full of narrow boxes. Hermione pushed open the door, and a small bell tinkled.

"Welcome to Ollivanders." The shop was illuminated by a few glowing orbs that floated by the ceiling, they shed light on thousands of wand boxes. The entire shop was filled from floor to ceiling with them. A few wicker chairs served as the only uncovered surface in the shop.

"Coming, I'm coming." Came a warm voice from the back of the shop. A young man came into view. He was around 30 years old, with chestnut hair and bright grey eyes which lit up when he saw Hermione. He came forward and warmly shook her hand. "Ms. Granger, always a pleasure. I do hope that Rose's wand is serving her well," he paused, his brow furrowing, "there hasn't been any trouble with it, has there."

"No, no, Gilbert not at all," Hermione reassured the man, "I'm actually here to get another Rose a wand today." At these words Gilbert noticed the trio standing near the door.

"Well hello, welcome. I'm Gilbert Ollivander, cousin of Garrick, I took over a few years ago." He noticed their clothing and smiled. Turning to Rose he asked, "first wand in the family?" She nodded. "Splendid! Let's see…" He rubbed his hands together and peered around the shop. "A few questions before I start." Rose nodded. "If I understood, your name is Rose?" She nodded again. "Lovely name, I sold a wand to another Rose just a few months ago, dragon and willow if I'm not mistaken."

"She's doing very well with it." Hermione said with a smile.

"Takes after her mother's magical aptitude?" Gilbert asked. Hermione blushed and nodded. "But, back to this Rose. When is your birthday? It must be soon."

"The 21st of July."

"Which hand do you write with?"

"Both, but mostly my right."

"Curious, very curious." Gilbert whipped a measuring tape from within a pocket in his robes and began measuring her. He measured the length of her outstretched arm, how tall she was, the width of her wrist, and the circumference of her head. "And you're the first witch in your family so I can't take any history into account, so let us dive right in!" He scurried around the shop, plucking boxes from shelves and teetering piles. He motioned for the adult to sit as he presented Rose with the first wand. "Beech and dragon, 13 inches. Give it a wave."

Rose tentatively took the wand and stared at it, unsure of what to do. She was afraid of hurting someone or breaking something. She took a deep breath and flicked the wand. Nothing happened.

"How does it feel?" Gilbert asked.

"Like I'm holding a stick of wood." She responded. Gilbert laughed.

"In that case, best try another." He took the wand back from her and replaced it in its box. He selected another wand and handed it to her. She felt more confident this time and gave it a wave. One of the lights above their heads went out. "Looks like you're more receptive to unicorn, but we're not right just yet." He quickly produced his own wand, and re-illuminated the orb. He handed her a few more wands, but none of them were right. "Hmm, I wonder," he mused. Gilbert headed to the back of the shop and came back with a slim blue box. "Give this one a try, unicorn and vine, 11 inches." The wand was beautiful, a pale brown colour, and it spirals and other intricate designs had been carved along its length.

Rose picked up the wand, and she felt a warm glow suffuse her hand and travel up her arm and into her core. As she waved it sparks flew from the end. She stared down at the wand, amazed that she had produced magic. It was odd, when she was holding the wand she felt whole, as though she had been missing an unknown limb, and only now was she complete.

"I think you've found it." Gilbert said with a smile. All Rose could do was nod. Her parents sat with their eyes wide, disbelieving what they had just witnessed. Gilbert showed Rose the proper way to carry her wand in her pocket and gave her a firm handshake. "Best of luck Ms. Watson, I look forward to hearing about your great magical achievements." Rose blushed and thanked him. Charlotte paid for the wand, and then four of them walked back into the sunshine, waving to Gilbert as they left.

"Next stop, robes."

They wandered a little ways down the street until they reached a shop with large bright windows. A purple sign above the door read _Madam Malkin's: robes for all occasions_. Inside were a few other children Rose's age. They stood on small stools while witches in flowing purple silk robes fluttered around them. Tape measurers wove through the air and around the students. A tall witch approached them with a smile playing on her lips.

"Good morning, Hogwarts robes?" She asked. She noticed Hermione and her smile widened. "Hello Hermione dear, how are you?" She looked down and saw her cloak. "My, my, lovely cloak, where did you get it?" She laughed.

"Hello Maria, and you know perfectly well where I got it." Hermione said with a smile. Let me introduce you to Rose, Hogwarts' newest acceptee."

"Hello Rose," Maria stuck out her hand, which Rose accepted. "Let's get you started, come stand over here." She led Rose to a stool. Maria turned to Charlotte and William, "you must be her parents, welcome. Please, find a seat and make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you tea?" They nodded their thanks and sat on a green sofa near Rose's stool. As Maria measured Rose, she chatted with Hermione. Apparently they had been at Hogwarts at the same time.

Maria helped Rose into a pair of black robes with a Hogwarts crest sewn on the left breast. They fit perfectly. Next she tried on a cloak with a silver clasp at the neck. Rose was fitted for black skirts and trousers, white blouses, and a grey cardigan.

"Now, we don't know what house you're going to be in," Maria started, "but not to worry. There's a very nifty charm in all of the clothing, everything will convert to your house colors and crest once you're sorted. And you'll be given a house scarf once you arrive at Hogwarts."

"Cool!" Rose exclaimed. Maria laughed.

"Yes it is rather impressive, one of the wonders of magic." She bagged up all of Rose's new clothing and added a Hogwarts tie to the pile. They paid and exited the shop, Hermione giving Maria a quick hug before they left.

They spent the rest of the morning going from store to store and buying the rest of Rose's supplies: books, cauldrons, parchment, and quills (Rose asked if she could just bring pens, to which Hermione laughed and nodded). They stopped at _Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour_ for lunch, Charlotte having reasoned that ice cream was a perfectly acceptable meal.

There last stop was _Eeylops Owl Emporium_ where Rose picked out a small brown owl with large and friendly eyes. She asked the adults,

"Is 'Darwin' a silly name for an owl?" Hermione shook her head.

"That is the greatest name for any owl I have ever heard," William said, "all of my talk of science has made its mark. I'm so proud." He dabbed at pretend tears in his eyes. Charlotte rolled her eyes and laughed.

Before leaving they ducked into _Sugarplum's Sweet Shop_ to buy chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes, and just about one of each item in the shop. Rose unwrapped her chocolate frog and saw Hermione's face staring up at her.

"Hermione! It's you." Rose cried. Hermione laughed and Charlotte and William craned their necks to see.

"I always thought it was a bit weird, personally. Though Ron considers it his greatest achievement." Rose bit into the frog and smiled.

"It's even better than Cadbury."

They walked back to the entrance to Diagon Alley, through the _Leaky Cauldron_ , and onto the street. Hermione removed her cloak and shoved it into her bag. She gave Rose a hug and shook Charlotte and William's hands.

"Can we offer you a ride?" Charlotte asked.

"That's so sweet, but I'm just going to turn the corner and apparate home, but thank you very much."

"Oh, of course." Charlotte blushed. "Still getting used to all of this."

"It definitely takes some time, don't worry about it. Please reach out if you need anything, and I'll be in touch soon." And with that they parted.

Rose talked excitedly the whole way back to the car, about her wand and robes and all of the exciting books she had bought. She planned to start reading them as soon as they got home.

She immediatly fell asleep in the car, all of the day's excitement finally catching up to her. William turned to Charlotte, trying to find the words to express his feelings about the day. Charlotte, sensing his internal struggle, smiled.

"I'd say that was a magical day if there ever was one."

"Absolutely magical."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"I'll wrangle the things, you wrangle the child." Charlotte whispered to William as they pulled up outside the house.

"I'm awake," Rose muttered blearily. "I wasn't even sleeping."

"Your snoring for the past hour indicates the contrary, my dear." William laughed.

"I snore?" Rose asked, horrified. Both Charlotte and William nodded.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, love. You must have been knackered. Also, your father, who I love very dearly, also snores."

"I snore?" William asked, horrified. Charlotte nodded.

"I'm afraid you do."

"Heavens, my whole life has been a lie. Here, I've been wandering the earth thinking that I was a good husband and didn't snore."

"Luckily, you have other redeeming qualities." Charlotte laughed as she opened the boot. Rose emerged from the car, clutching Darwin's cage. Charlotte and William carried the rest of the items.

As they approached the door, it opened, revealing Ash, who wore an apron and a huge smile. He noticed Darwin.

"Is that an owl?" He said as his eyes widened. "Oh my god, what's its name? Does it deliver letters? What is it going to _eat_?" Rose answered all of his questions as they brought everything inside. "Did you get robes? What was Gringotts like? Were the goblins mean? Did you meet Olivander?" His mouth fell open and he whispered, "Do you have a wand now?" Rose nodded and produced it from her pocket. "Wicked!"

The two of them plopped onto the couch and sat while Ash asked, and Rose answered. She told him about the goblins, and the people, that everyone had stared at Hermione because they knew who she was and what she had done. She relayed every detail she could remember about the shops, and how everything was so incredibly _magical_. She showed him her chocolate frog card and ran to the kitchen to fetch him his own chocolate frog to eat.

"Ash!" William called, "What's going on in the kitchen?"

"Oh, I forgot, I started dinner. Don't worry," he said, seeing his father's concerned glance, "I wasn't going to burn the house down, I've just been chopping vegetables for salad." William gave a sigh of relief.

"Well let's get cooking, I'm starving."

* * *

After they had cooked and eaten and cleaned up, Ash, Charlotte, and William all sat down in the living room to read.

"Can Ben sleep over tonight?" Rose asked.

"Sure, Rosie. Just make sure it's ok with his parents." Charlotte answered. "Are you going to sleep outside or in your room?"

"Outside please."

"Ok, when you get back I'll help you get the tent and sleeping bags."

"Thanks!" Rose called as she ran out the door. She sprinted to Ben's house, up the garden path, and knocked on the door.

"Hello Rose," Ben's mum, Elizabeth, opened the door. "How are you doing?"

"Very well thank you." All Rose wanted to do was run and get Ben and tell him everything, but good manners won out. "How are you?" Elizabeth ushered her into the house.

"Ben!" She called up the stairs, "Rose is here." She turned to Rose, "you have wonderful timing, we just finished supper." Elizabeth was interrupted by the sound of Ben running down the stairs.

"Hiya!" He said with a smile. "How's your weekend been?"

"Crazy, I have soooo much to tell you. Want to sleep over?"

Ben turned to his mother beseechingly. She laughed and gave her permission. They ran upstairs so Ben could pack his bag. He told Rose about his weekend: he'd finished the book Professor D had given him, gone on a hike with his parents, and learned how to use a yo-yo. He quickly demonstrated his newfound skill and finished packing. On their way downstairs, they stuck their heads into Ben's dad's office.

"Hi Robert!"

"Hi Dad! I'm sleeping at Rose's tonight."

"Hi Ben, Rose. Ok, have fun, see you tomorrow." He gave Ben a quick hug, and they hurried downstairs.

"Bye Mum!" Ben called, he accepted Elizabeth's hug and kiss without protest, and then they were out the door.

"So what did you do this weekend?" Ben asked as they strolled down the road.

"Crazy, crazy things. You are not going to believe it."

"Try me."

"I'll tell you everything once we have the tent set up." They chatted the rest of the way about the books Professor D had given them, and about their plans for the summer, which basically included reading, cycling, and exploring Oxford's museums.

Charlotte helped them set up the tent, and after brushing their teeth and getting into their pyjamas, they settled in. Anytime Ben slept over, weather permitting (which, this being Oxford, was not all that often) they slept in the tent. It was almost like their clubhouse, a secret-(ish) place for them to hang out and talk. They sat facing each other, light filtering in from a small mesh window in the top of the tent.

"So, what crazy things did you do this weekend?" Ben asked.

"Ok," Rose paused, trying to figure out the best way to tell him about everything. "So on Saturday we were gardening-"

"Oh wow, that is crazy." Ben said, his voice full of sarcasm.

"Shut it," Rose laughed and swatted his arm. "So, there's a knock on the door and there's this woman standing there and she says her name is Hermione."

"I thought only little kids were named Hermione." Ben said, confused.

"Yeah, me too, which is said to her. And she laughed. But," she took a deep breath. "It was actually Hermione Granger, from the books. The books are real, the wizarding world is real. Hogwarts actually exists, and I got my letter." Ben looked at her, dumbfounded.

"Haha, very funny Rose."

"No, it's true!" She pulled out the letter from her pyjama bottoms and handed it over. Ben scanned it.

"So your parents made this?"

"No, it's real!" She said, becoming desperate. "And I'm not allowed to tell anyone, but I begged Hermione to let me tell you, and now you don't believe me." Her voice cracked.

"Rose, I know you were upset about finishing the Harry Potter books, but there's no need to lie. I'm your best friend, why would you lie to me?"

"I'm not lying!" Rose cried. But it was too late, Ben had jumped up and walked out of the tent. "Where are you going?" She called out after him.

"I'm going home, I don't like hanging out with liars."

"I'm telling the truth!" But he was gone.

Rose ran inside, where her parents were sitting on the couch, they looked confused.

"Is everything alright?" William asked. "Ben said he was feeling ill and went home. Is he ok?"

"Nothing is ok!" Rose yelled and burst into tears.

"Rosie, what happened?" William knelt down beside her.

"I told him about Hogwarts and everything and he didn't believe me and he called me a liar." She said in between sobs. "Why didn't he believe me? Why would he think I was lying?"

"Oh Rosie, come here." William hugged her and led her over to the couch. "Remember how mum said that this might be hard for him to wrap his head around? He doesn't think you're a liar, he just doesn't understand that what you're saying can be the truth. He thinks that the books are fiction, and it's going to take a little time for him to be able to process what you told him."

"If I hadn't seen everything I have, I would also have trouble believing it," said Charlotte, "not because I don't trust you, but because it all seems so incredible. Just give Ben some time, I'm sure he'll come around."

* * *

Two days later, he hadn't. For the past two mornings Rose had ridden her bike up the road and not seen Ben outside waiting for her. She had knocked on the door, and been told, on the first day by Robert, and the second, Elizabeth, that Ben was feeling poorly. Rose had spent the days in a funk, she had cycled alone to the library and when Professor D had enquired where Ben was she told him that they were in a fight. That she had told him a secret and he hadn't believed her. Professor D had frowned, and told her to just give it some time, that these things never lasted long. He had given her two books and told her to give them to Ben once she was finished.

Wednesday was Rose's birthday, but she did not feel like celebrating much. She was still upset about Ben, and worried that he would spend the whole summer not talking to her. She did not even want to think of the possibility that she would leave for Hogwarts without him saying goodbye.

Rose got up and trudged downstairs. The sight that awaited her cheered her immensely. The whole kitchen had been decorated with blue bunting and balloons. The table in the living room was stacked with presents and the sofa was occupied by her grandparents.

After much hugging and kissing and exclamations about how much she had grown, they all sat down to breakfast. William had made blueberry muffins, which they ate with gusto.

Rose's birthday party did not start until later, she was having her closest friends over to make pizza, watch a movie, and sleep over, so she spent the day with her family doing all of her favourite things. They went to the Museum of Natural History, and William showed them behind the scenes. For lunch, they ate at her favourite restaurant and for dessert they bought ice cream in the botanical gardens.

They returned home and her grandparents left. Then they began to set up for the party: making the pizza dough and cooking tomato sauce, chopping vegetables and shredding cheese. Ash laid the table and Charlotte and Rose moved aside the furniture in the living room so there would be room for sleeping bags.

The doorbell rang and Rose ran to answer it.

Ben stood on the threshold, a present in his hands.

"Hi Rose, happy birthday."


	9. Chapter 9

Rose flung herself at Ben and hugged him. She opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it.

"I'm sorry, for calling you a liar, and not believing you. I just-" he paused and looked down. "I'm sorry. I believe you."

"It's ok, I'm glad you're here." She smiled. "I went to Diagon Alley on Sunday, want to see everything?"

Ben stood, staring at her with his mouth open. He nodded his head vigorously, unable to get words out.

"Wait," he said, "first I want you to open your present." He handed her a rectangular package that had been inexpertly wrapped in blue paper.

"Thanks Ben." They walked into the kitchen, where Ben got a very warm welcome. William said, with great emphasis, that he was glad Ben was feeling better. They ran upstairs and sat on Rose's bed. She ripped open the packaging to reveal two gifts. The first was a small leather bound journal and the second a box of stationary.

"I figured you could use the journal to write down all of your adventures, and the letters are so we can keep in touch." Ben blushed as he explained the gift. "I hope you like it."

"I love both of them." Rose gave him a hug. "Thank you, and thanks for coming."

"Like I would ever miss an opportunity to make homemade pizza." He smiled, and then grew serious. "I missed you. It's going to be weird with you so far away."

"Yeah, but it'll be ok. My best friend just gave me some amazing stationary so I think we won't have trouble keeping in touch."

Ben had arrived to the party about an hour early, so the two of them had more than enough time to go through all of Rose's Diagon Alley purchases. She modelled her robes and showed him her wand, making sure not to do any magic in front of a muggle. They climbed to the attic and Rose introduced Ben to a sleeping Darwin.

"We let him out at night," Rose whispered, "and he sleeps the whole day."

"Wicked!"

The doorbell rang and they ran downstairs to greet the rest of their friends.

"Remember," Rose had muttered before she opened the door, "you can't tell _anyone_."

"Promise."

For her birthday Rose got a vast array of exciting presents: books, more stationary from her parents, a new book bag for Hogwarts, a _Doctor Who_ jumper, and a fancy paints set, amongst others. But none was as good as having her best friend back.

The rest of the summer passed in a blur of books and cycling and exploring. A week before Rose was set to go to Hogwarts, she started packing. She filled the bed in their guest room with socks, pyjamas, jumpers, her robes and uniform. She stacked her schoolbooks and laid out her cauldron and other supplies, including a package of pens. She made sure to put out all of her stationery and her favourite books (though she decided against bringing _Harry Potter)_.

She and Ben continued to go to the library every other day and their conversations were filled with speculations about what Hogwarts would actually be like. Would everything be the same as it was in the books, or had things been changed and embellished? What would the professors be like, as there were bound to be new professors by now?

Rose's excitement grew by the day, but now the butterflies in her stomach were starting to morph. While she was still incredibly excited, she was becoming increasingly nervous. She'd never been away from home before (at least for longer than a week), and she wouldn't know anyone. What if no one liked her and she didn't make any friends?

It was first-day-of-school jitters, but to a whole new level.

The phone rang.

"Hello, this is Charlotte speaking…Oh, hi Hermione, how are you?...We're all good here, sad that the summer holiday is coming to a close. Or at least some of us are sad, I can think of one member of the Watson household who can't wait for the term to begin." She laughed. "…Oh, that sounds really lovely. I'm sure she'd be more than pleased to come…Oh great, thanks, see you then." Charlotte hung up.

"That was Hermione," Charlotte turned to Rose. "She's having a little get together of all of the muggle-born kids, a bit like a wizarding world orientation. Friday night at her house. She lives in London, so we'll drive you in."

"Cool! I wonder what her house looks like, if it's like the Burrow or if it's a normal house. Or maybe it's like her bag and it's bigger on the inside!" Rose babbled. Charlotte laughed.

"Well, if you don't drop dead from anticipation, you'll find out pretty soon."

After what felt like years, but was actually only a few days, Friday rolled around. Rose was ready and waiting downstairs exactly 37 minutes before they needed to go, which was pretty unheard of. William had baked a cake for her to take along and both Ash and Ben had given her a list of questions to ask Hermione (and co.).

Rose sat fidgeting on the sofa, waiting for Charlotte to finish writing a chapter in her new book before they left. Two minutes before they had planned to leave, Charlotte came running downstairs, mobile, purse and keys in a jumble in her hands. Charlotte had been tasked with driving into London because William hated driving anywhere that wasn't Oxford or similarly populated areas.

They dashed into the car, each receiving a kiss from William, and they were off. They drove in relative silence, content to just listen to the radio and enjoy the summer breeze wafting in through the open windows. As they entered London they rolled up the windows to keep the noise out.

"You excited?" Charlotte asked. Rose nodded. "I think you're going to have a great time. Remember to be yourself, make new friends, and don't forget to ask questions. Never be embarrassed about asking questions!"

"Yes, Mum. I know." Rose answered as she rolled her eyes.

"Here we are." They turned onto a quiet, tree filled lane, and pulled up in front of a three-story stone semi-detached home that had ivy crawling up the outside of it. The front garden was filled with every type of flower imaginable, and plants that they had never seen before.

They got out of the car and Rose pressed the doorbell. Moments later, a tall, ginger man wearing an apron opened the door and greeted her with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"Hiya, you must be Rose, it's so lovely to meet you. I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley.

 _Author's note: I'm in the middle of exams so I'll be updating sporadically. I should update at least once a week, but there will be no set day of the week when I do._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Rose stood at the threshold, trying very hard not to stare, or freak out, or faint. She reached out timidly and shook Ron's proffered hand.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." She whispered. Ron smiled and shook Charlotte's hand.

"You must be Charlotte, pleasure to meet you. Do come in." He beckoned them inside

Charlotte handed him the box with the cake. "Thank you so much for having Rosie over."

"Our absolute pleasure." Ron opened the box and peeked inside. "Is this homemade?"

"Yes, my husband made it, I think it's a Victoria sponge."

"It looks great. It's perfect that you brought this, because I didn't actually make dessert." Ron said with a laugh.

He led them into the house and down a corridor which was covered in bookshelves. They walked to the back of the house and into a bright and airy kitchen. Hermione stood in the kitchen humming along to the magical-looking radio that stood on the windowsill, when she saw them she brightened.

"Hello Rose, Charlotte." She gave Rose a hug and kissed Charlotte on the cheek. "It's so lovely to see both of you, welcome!" She spread her arms. "Can I get you anything? Water, tea, pumpkin juice?" They shook their heads. "I'm just doing some last minute things and Ron is finishing dinner."

"Can I help with anything?" Rose asked.

"Oh, I like you, you can stay." Hermione said with a laugh. "You just make yourself comfortable." She looked at her watch, "it looks like everyone is less punctual than you are, so just sit tight until everyone else arrives."

Charlotte looked at her own watch. "I better be going, don't want to be late for dinner with Aunt Em." She said her goodbyes, "See you later, Rosie, have fun."

And so Rose was left alone with her favorite couple from all of literature. The two of them looked completely of the same world, seamlessly moving around each other in the kitchen. This minute turning to exchange a word, or beckoning the other to taste-test a bite. All Rose could do was stare.

"Rose and Hugo are at their cousins tonight, but you'll meet them in a few days. Rose is really looking forward to meeting you." Hermione told her as she washed strawberries. Ron looked over his shoulder where he stood stirring something on the hob.

"Do you like pasta primavera?" He asked. Rose nodded.

"It's one of his specialties." Hermione said.

"Which one of you does most of the cooking?" Rose asked. "In my house my dad cooks everything, because my mum is rubbish at anything that isn't salad." Hermione laughed.

"Oh, definitely him. I'm not a bad cook, I just don't really enjoy it."

"When we first started dating, she told me that if I ever wanted to marry her I would need to spend a week with my mother learning how to cook." Ron said with a laugh.

"I think I said something along the lines of 'I cooked for you for months in a bloody tent so I'm never cooking for you again.'" Hermione smiled. "We have a good routine: he cooks and I charm the dishes to wash themselves."

Rose looked around the kitchen, besides for the radio everything looked, well, rather ordinary.

"Where are all of the magical things?" She asked.

"The fire on the hob is actual conjured and once it gets darker we'll get out a good pair of floating orbs, but I'm sorry to say that most things in the house are things like you'd have."

"Oh, ok." Rose said, dejected. "I guess I was kind of expecting there to be pans and dishes flying around the kitchen with the food cooking itself."

"Well, in that case," Hermione picked up her wand from where it lay next to the radio. She gave it a flick, and the entire kitchen came to life. Cupboards opened and dishes flew out of them and down the corridor into the dining room. They were followed by glasses and cutlery. Serviettes unfurled themselves from a drawer and folded themselves into complicated shapes before following the parade to the dining room. Ron stepped away from the hob as the wooden spoon he had been holding began stirring the pan. Rose sat, mouth agape, turning her head this way and that, trying to take everything in. The commotion died down and Hermione and Ron returned to their previous tasks.

"Wow." Rose said, unable to form any complete sentence. Hermione laughed.

"It definitely is quite the shocker at first, I almost fainted from excitement the first time I went to the Burrow. Hermione looked at her watch. "Where is everyone? It's almost 6:30, it seems unlikely that _everyone_ would be this late." She stopped, eyes wide. "Oh no, I told everyone else 7 instead of 6. I'm so sorry."

"Ah, don't worry about love, the food'll keep warm." Ron said.

"You alright Rose, or do you want something to eat?" Hermione asked. Rose shook her head.

The song on the radio changed, piano swelling out of the small box, and immediately Hermione and Ron looked to each other and smiled. Wiping his hands on his apron he walked over to Hermione and extended his hand. "May I have this dance?" Hermione accepted and the two of them began to dance and twirl around the kitchen.

 _I don't get many things right the first time_

 _In fact, I am told that a lot_

 _Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls_

 _Brought me here..._

They moved gracefully and fluidly through the large space. They stared into each other's eyes, each wearing a smile of happy contentment. Ron twirled Hermione and she laughed. Rose felt like an intruder on this private moment, and she looked away just as the song ended. Ron dipped Hermione before kissing her quickly. He tucked a stray curl behind her hair and whispered "I am the luckiest," before returning to tend to the bubbling pan. Hermione looking a little pinker than she had been a few minutes before.

"That was the song we danced to at our wedding." Hermione said by way of explanation.

"They play muggle music on the wizarding radio?" Rose asked.

"Sometimes."

"Can I ask something?" Started Rose. They both nodded in response. "Have you the _Harry Potter_ books?"

"Yes. Joan even interviewed us about some things, and at that point we figured we might as well read them. Probably won't read them to the kids." Ron said with a laugh.

"You've met JK Rowling?" Rose asked, astonished.

"She's rather lovely, muggle-born you know. But she wasn't at Hogwarts the same time we were.

"JK Rowling is a witch?" This was getting even weirder.

"Oh yes, how else would she know everything? Obviously she's taken a few liberties with the story, that epilogue technically hasn't happened yet, but for the most part it's pretty historically accurate. She was a reporter for the "Daily Prophet" and had followed Harry pretty closely, she was really fascinated by him and his life and his adventures. She wanted to write a biography originally, to be published in the Wizarding World, but he thought he was a bit young for a biography. She asked if instead she could write a novel about his childhood. She got a lot of pushback from the Ministry, secrecy laws and such. But she published it as a novel, and for the most part, no muggle is the wiser." Hermione said.

"That's crazy. Was it weird reading the books?"

"Oh, terribly." Said Hermione, "it's like reading a very personal biography about your life, but all of these small things have been changed that make everything look a little different."

"I have another question, if that's ok. And if this is rude or personal or whatever don't answer. But I was wondering if, well, if the two of you is the same as in the books." Ron laughed.

"Well, mostly. The beginning is very different."

"Yeah, he and Harry didn't hate me at first. We all got along pretty well."

"She'd just gone to the toilet to pee when the troll came in. I realized that Hermione had gone out so Harry and I, being the idiot eleven year olds we were, decided to go get her by ourselves."

"Yes, let the record show that I have never cried in a toilet. But we were all best friends from that point on."

"When did you realize you liked the other, as more than friends? Because I knew from the second book that you'd end up together." Hermione laughed at that.

"It took us a little longer to figure it out." Hermione smiled at Ron. "I think I started having feelings for him around the time of the Yule Ball. I so wanted him to ask me, but I'm not sure I really internalized those feelings. But I had a huge crush on him from about around when he and Lavender were dating."

"And I just went out with her because I thought I'd never be able to get Hermione." Ron added.

"But we figured it out in the end." Hermione said with a smile.

They spent the next half hour finishing supper and talking. Ron and Hermione answered every question that Rose threw at them.

"How many other kids are coming?" Rose asked

"Three more, and I haven't met any of them yet, so you know about as much about them as I do." Hermione answered.

"You mean you didn't go and give them their letter?"

"Oh no, just you. Every year they send out a letter to muggle borns who attended Hogwarts asking them to be introducers, and I've never done it. I saw your name, and it reminded me of my daughter, so I decided to volunteer to be your introducer.

"Oh, wow." said Rose, taken aback. "I thought they just assigned me to you." Hermione shook her head.

The doorbell rang.

"Well," said Hermione, "let's see who's here."

 _Author's note:_ _Hermione and Ron's song is "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds. It's really wonderful, look it up :)_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Hermione opened the door to a young boy and his mother. She extended her hand.

"Hello, I'm Hermione, you must be Thomas." The boy stared up at her, awestruck and frozen. He was slightly pasty and his light brown hair almost covered his grey eyes. He looked uncomfortable in his slacks and blazer. His mother gave him a light push and he shook her hand. "Mrs Spencer, such a pleasure to meet you. Do come in." She stepped back from the threshold to allow them entry.

"I'm sorry I won't be able to step in, I have plans that I really cannot be late for. Thank you for having Thom over." Mrs Spencer said, she turned to Thom. "I'll send the car over to pick you up later." And with that she turned and walked back down the front walk, her heels clicking on the stones. She entered the back of a sleek black car and it drove away.

"Come on in Thom," Hermione beckoned him inside. "Rose is already here and we're waiting for two more." Just as she was about to close the door, a family turned up the walk. A tall, scarlet-haired woman led the way followed by her daughter and husband.

"Hullo!" She called in an American accent. She strided up the walk, and took Hermione's hand. "You must be Ms Granger, I'm Valerie Rhodes such a pleasure to meet you." She looked down at Thom. "Are you Hugo?"

"I'm Thom."

"Thom is one of the other students," Hermione cut in. "And please, call me Hermione."

"Well, Thom, you look very dapper in that blazer of yours. In any case, I must thank you Hermione for organizing this little shindig, so thoughtful of you!" At that point it seemed that Valerie remembered her daughter. "This is Aria." Aria stepped forward and shook Hermione's hand with a smile.

"It's really nice to meet you. I'm a big fan." Aria said. She was rather tall for her age, with mocha colored skin and startling green eyes. Her dark curly hair had been pulled back into a braid. Her father stepped forward.

"Nathan Johnson, pleasure to meet you." He shook hands with Hermione.

"I'm sorry, but are you Nathan Johnson the jazz saxophonist?" Hermione asked, "I'm a big fan." She asked them in, but they declined, Nathan having a gig to run to. Before departing they each gave Aria a kiss.

Hermione led Thom and Aria into the house and back to the kitchen where Ron and Rose were chatting about the pros and cons of having your face on a chocolate frog card.

Everyone was introduced and Ron fetched everyone some pumpkin juice. The newcomers tried not to stare at Ron and Hermione as they bustled around the kitchen. The doorbell rang and Hermione went to get the door.

"Hello, you must be Nisha, I'm Hermione." Hermione shook Nisha's hand. Her dark eyes were wide as she surveyed Hermione. Her father stood behind her.

"Such a pleasure to meet you Hermione, I'm Nisha's father, Charles." He shook Hermione's hand. "I'm sorry my wife couldn't make it, one of her patients went into labour just as we left the house."

"In that case she has a much more important place to be. Please do come in." Charles thanked Hermione but he had to run back home to make dinner for the "non magical members of the family." He gave Nisha a hug before getting back into his car and driving away.

"Everyone come into the dining room." Hermione called as she led Nisha into the house. They all filed in, Ron bringing up the rear. Hermione went into the kitchen and emerged following a train of food that floated in front of her. All of the children stopped and stared. They remained glued to their spots as the food came to rest on the table. Ron and Hermione sat at each end of the table.

"Well, don't just stand there, come and eat!" Ron said with a laugh. They each chose a chair and quickly sat down. Ron filled everyone's plates.

"Well," began Hermione. "It's so lovely to see and meet all of you. This is very informal, I just wanted to give you all an opportunity to ask any questions you might have and also to let you meet some of your new classmates. I knew nobody my first day of Hogwarts and it was a little intimidating, so I didn't want any of you to have to go through with that. So I guess let's just go around and say a little bit about ourselves, it can be anything. Ron, do you want to start?"

"Sure, I'm Ron. I run _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_ with my older brother George. Do you all know what that is?" They all nodded. "Right, ok, I'm rubbish at this. I'm married to a wonderful woman who is a million times more brilliant than I am, and I make very good macaroni and cheese." He turned to Hermione, "that good?"

"A piece of advice for Hogwarts?" She prompted.

"Alright then, just ask a lot of questions and talk to everyone, you never know who your best friends will turn out to be." He winked at Hermione.

"Aria, your turn."

"Hi, I'm Aria, my mom is an opera singer so, that's where that comes from. I play the piano and cello and I'm an only child. And I'm really, really excited." She finished with a wide grin.

"I'm Thom. I'd actually never read the _Harry Potter_ books until I received my letter. So I've spent the last few months furiously reading them. My parents aren't too pleased about all of this, you see, I was supposed to go to Eton and they're not sure what to tell their friends." He laughed. "But I'm looking forward to this."

"Looks, like it's my turn." Hermione said. "By this point you all know my name. By day I'm the Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which basically means I make sure that everything runs smoothly-"

"Basically, she's the invisible head of the Ministry." Ron cut in.

"Well, I definitely am in charge of a lot of things, but I'm not _that_ important."

"She's very modest." Ron said with a laugh, and Hermione blushed.

"And by night I'm a parent and a wife and I do a little theoretical magic work, creating new spells and such. But only in my free time, of which there is very little." She said with a laugh. "As for advice, well. I'll echo what Ron said: ask questions and try to get to know as many people as you can. Join clubs and societies, they're really great resources for meeting friends."

"I'm Rose. I love all books, especially _Harry Potter_. I only got my letter about a week ago so this still seems like a dream and I really hope I don't wake up anytime soon. I just bought an amazing owl who I named Darwin. And I'm really excited for flying and magic and everything."

"I'm Nisha, I'm the oldest of three siblings and I have an amazing cat named Artemis who I'm excited to bring to Hogwarts. I'm excited to be sorted, and to meet people."

They spent the next few hours talking and eating and getting to know one another. As the sun began to set, Hermione conjured glowing orbs that floated around the ceiling. For dessert they ate the cake William had made and an assortment of wizarding sweets and chocolate. Ron opened his chocolate card and smiled as he saw the card.

"Merlin's saggy left-" he stopped himself after remembering he was in the company of children. "I mean, wow. I do not know who this woman is, but she is gorgeous, and I'm going to run away with her."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He says that every time he gets a card with my face on it. But it's very endearing." She said with a smile.

One by one the children's parents appeared to take them home (or in the case of Thom, a car came to get him). Before they left Hermione reminded them to all meet her outside King's Cross Station so she could help them find Platform 9 ¾. She told them to contact her if they needed anything or had any questions.

When Charlotte arrived Rose gave Hermione a tight hug, and Ron a shy one. They hopped into the car.

"How was it?" Charlotte asked.

"I'm not nervous anymore."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Mum!" Rose called. Charlotte stuck her head into the room.

"Yes?"

"I don't have a case that's big enough to pack all of my things in."

"Ah, do not despair my dear, your parents have thought of everything." Charlotte walked out of the room and called down the stairs,

"William, can you come help with the packing?" A moment later William appeared.

"At your service, madames." He saluted Charlotte and Rose. "Rose, I recommend bringing all of your things downstairs to be packed, as your case is currently sitting in the living room."

"Why can't you just bring it upstairs?" Rose asked.

"It's rather unwieldy." William responded. "Come and see." They trooped downstairs. Sitting on the floor was a rectangular trunk. It was a deep blue color with silver buckles and clasps. The letters _RW_ had been embossed on the front. Rose's eyes widened and she ran over to the trunk. She inspected every inch of it, opening the top and peering inside.

"Is this for me?" She asked, flabbergasted.

"Do you know any other RWs in the family?" Charlotte asked with a laugh. Rose flung herself at her parents and wrapped them both in a big hug.

"Thank you, thank you thank you, I love it!"

"Well, in that case, let's get packing." William said.

Ash was enlisted and the four of them made several journeys up and down the stairs to retrieve the vast array of items that Rose was bringing to Hogwarts. Charlotte helped Rose pack and organize everything, and between the four of them they finished everything before lunch.

The rest of the day was spent in a blur of saying goodbye to her friends. Like Hermione had instructed, she had told them she was going to a boarding school in Scotland. She also told them that mobiles and computers were banned and that there was no wifi, so she'd have to correspond with them via letter. Being Millennials they were horrified at the concept, but agreed that having a pen-pal would be fun.

Ben came over for dinner and William cooked Rose's favourite dinner: homemade ravioli.

"Do you think they serve tofu at Hogwarts?" Ben mused.

"Good question, but I will write to you the answer as soon as I find out."

They spent the rest of dinner eating and talking and trying to ignore the fact that this was the last time they were going to see each other until Christmas. After dessert, which consisted of ice cream and sticky toffee pudding, it was time for goodbyes.

Ben and Rose stood by the door, Ben looked at his feet and Rose looked anywhere but at him.

"I'm really going to miss you." Rose started. Ben nodded in agreement. "But we're going to write all of the time, right?"

"I expect at least a letter a week. You're going to have so much fun. And I would wish you luck but I know you don't need it." Ben said. They shuffled around for a bit, not wanting to actually say goodbye. Rose was perfectly happy to just stand there all night if it meant she did not have to say goodbye.

"Rose, time to shower, we've got an early morning ahead of us!" William called from the kitchen. His words acted as a catalyst that drove Ben and Rose together. They hugged each other tightly.

"Christmas is soon, yeah?" Ben said, unconvinced. Rose nodded.

"Bye Ben." They hugged one more time and then he was gone.

Rose trudged upstairs to shower and brush her teeth. After getting into her pyjamas Rose went back downstairs so Charlotte could braid her hair.

Charlotte ran the comb through Rose's long blonde hair and deftly wove it into a braid.

"I'm going to miss this," she said. Her voice caught on the last few words. "It's going to be so weird having you away from home. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with that until unviersity. And then you would be attending Oxford so you'd be close by anyway." Charlotte sighed, "but I guess that's why owl post exists." When she was done braiding Rose's hair she turned her around so she could inspect the front of Rose's hair to make sure there were no bumps. She noticed Rose had a tear running down her cheek. Charlotte pulled Rose into a hug, "What's the matter love?" She asked.

"What if Ben and I lose touch and we're not friends anymore by the time I get back?" Rose asked, a tremor in her voice.

"Oh, Rosie, I don't think you need to worry about that. How's this? Phone Hermione and ask her what she did when she was at Hogwarts."

Rose quickly grabbed the phone and dialed the number Hermione had given her. The phone rang and rang, Rose was about to hang up when Hermione's voice came on the line.

"Hello? Rose?"

"Hi Hermione, I hope I didn't call at a bad time."

"Oh, no, not at all. I left my mobile downstairs and I didn't hear it ringing for a while. Thank goodness for summoning charms." She said with a laugh. "How are you feeling about tomorrow?"

"A little nervous, but mostly excited."

"Oh that's good to hear. We just finished packing up our Rose and now I'm sending the whole family to bed so we're all well rested for tomorrow."

"I have a question."

"Yes?"

"When you went to Hogwarts were you able to keep in touch with all of your muggle friends from back home? I'm worried that we won't be able to stay friends because I'll be so far away for so long."

"Oh, Rose, don't worry about that. I remained very close with all of my muggle friends. We wrote letters to each other all of them time, and spent all of our holidays catching up. In fact, I'm still friends with a lot of them to this day."

"That's good. Thanks Hermione."

"My pleasure. Have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow."

"G'night." Rose hung up the phone and felt a little better. She said goodnight to her parents and went upstairs. She lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. She did not feel tired. Her stomach fluttered out of excitement. It was like the feeling before the last day of term, or the night before a big trip. She thought about all of the amazing classes she would take and the magic she would do. She drifted off to sleep and dreamed of flying through the air on a broomstick.

Rose awoke to the first rays of sunlight filtering through her bedroom curtains. She bolted out of bed and was dressed in record time. She had decided on simply wearing jeans and then changing on the train. She did not want to look overeager, even though that was how she felt.

She practically flew downstairs and entered the kitchen. Which was empty. She checked her watch, 7:12. They were not leaving until 9. Rose poured herself a bowl of cereal and ate. Then she waited, and waited, and waited some more. Around 8 o'clock she began to hear sounds of life from upstairs. Several minutes later William stumbled downstairs to put on the kettle. It was not until he had taken a sip of tea that he noticed Rose sitting on the living room sofa.

"Blimey Rose, how long have you been sitting there?"

"Since around 7."

"Have you eaten?" William asked. Rose nodded. "Ok, your mother has bade me go make tea, which I must now take to her. We should be down in a few minutes." He paused, his eyes widening in mock horror. "And I have to wake Ash, wish me luck on this Herculean task."

"Good luck Dad." William ascended the stairs.

By 8:50 everyone was downstairs and fed. Rose's trunk had been packed into the boot of the car and Darwin was sleeping peacefully in his cage by the door. Charlotte looked at her watch.

"Best get going, there might be traffic." She turned to Rose and Ash, "Alright you two, time to bid adieu." Ash was not allowed onto the platform so he had decided to stay home.

"Bye Rosebush." Ash said, coming over and giving Rose a big hug. "Have a super time and you better write me and tell me all of the epic things you're doing."

"Bye Ash Kash B'gash. See you for Christmas." They hugged one more time before Rose picked up Darwin's cage and headed into the car.

Charlotte parked the car in a spot where Hermione had told them. The woman herself was standing a few rows down next to a blue Ford Anglia. She waved as they walked over. Greetings were exchanged.

"Rose, I'm going to have to place a disillusionment charm on your owl, new policy ever since the novels came out. Turns out muggles really notice these days if they see a bunch of kids with owls in King's Cross Station. Don't worry, it won't hurt him, it'll just make it hard for us to see him." Hermione waved her wand and Darwin disappeared. He was still there, and Rose could still see him, but only if she squinted her eyes and concentrated really hard.

"Where's everyone else?" Rose asked.

"It turns out that the other muggle-born students are being taken to the platform by their introducers, so it's just us. And my family, who I think are playing tag somewhere in this car park." From somewhere nearby Ron could be heard shouting "not it!"

"Let's get moving," Hermione said. "Ron, Rose, Hugo, time to go!" From out behind some cars the three Weasleys appeared and walked towards them. "I believe some introductions are in order, Rose, meet Rose."

"This is not going to be confusing at all," Rose Weasley said with a laugh.

"And we're both Rose W, professors are going to hate it." Rose Watson smiled. "It's really nice to meet you."

Everyone was introduced and they began to make their way to the station, both Roses pushing a trolley laden with their trunks and an invisible owl. At exactly 10:37 they entered the station and headed towards the platform. Every family or group had been given a time to enter the station so as not to create a mass of recognizably magical people.

Hermione and Ron were both dressed in modern muggle clothes, but Rose did see one family where both parents were wearing very bright clothes from the 80, complete with shoulder pads.

"Why is no one wearing cloaks and robes?" Rose asked Hermione.

"The Ministry has had to enforce some new rules about dress-code, don't want people looking too magical. Everyone will put their cloaks and robes on once we get to the platform." They pulled up in front of a brick wall between platform 9 and 10. "Well, here we are. I'll go through first with my Rose, Watsons next. Ron, you'll bring up the rear with Hugo?" They all nodded in agreement.

Rose watched Hermione and Rose Weasley jog towards the brick wall, and just as it seemed like they were going to crash into it, they disappeared. Rose had known what was coming, but it still startled her. The Watsons lined up, Rose in the front.

She braced herself and ran straight towards the wall...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

…And through it.

There was a loud rushing noise and Rose found herself on a large train platform. Her parents slowed to a stop behind her.

Rose gazed around in amazement, the ceiling was full of large windows through which streamed the morning sunshine, illuminating the crowd bellow. After passing through the barrier, parents had donned their cloaks and robes and the platform was filled with bright colours. Students shouted greetings to one another as parents called to their children. Owls hooted and the engine grumbled. Out of the steam appeared the great scarlet train, which was already full of students.

"Let's get your bags on the train and find you a seat." Hermione said to the girls. With the help of their parents they lugged their trunks to the train.

"Rose!" A voice called from the crowd, both girls turned around. The voice's owner materialized from the crowd, it belonged to a young boy of 12 with black unruly hair and bright green eyes.

"Hi James!" Rose Weasley said as she embraced her cousin. She turned to Rose, "this is James, James, this is Rose." He looked confusedly between them.

"Well, that's going to be confusing," he said with a laugh. "Come on, Al and I have already got a carriage, want to sit with us?" They both nodded their ascent and followed him onto the train.

The corridors were packed with students who carried owls and bags and jostled each other to get past. They stowed their trunks in the luggage racks and brought their owls into the carriage. Despite the tumult, Darwin remained asleep. After securing their seats they emerged onto the platform.

"Oh good," James said, pointing. "My parents found yours." Ron, Hermione, and the Watsons (who looked rather shell-shocked) had been joined by a third couple. And despite the fact that their backs were turned to them, Rose could tell who they were. A woman with bright red hair stood next to a man with shaggy black hair. A young girl with red hair was clinging to his hand.

As the Roses and James approached, they turned around. Rose tried not to stare, she tried to be cool, but that is a very difficult task when you are introduced to not only Harry freaking Potter, but Ginny Weasley and their adorable daughter.

Rose shook each of their hands, and saw her parents over Harry's shoulder mouthing "Oh my god we're on platform 9 ¾ and we met Harry freaking Potter."

"Where has Al gotten off to?" Ginny asked. James shrugged.

"I helped him with his trunk and then he saw some friends and ran off." James said.

"Well, as long as he shows up to say goodbye before the train leaves." Ginny said.

The train whistle blew, signalling that they would be departing in 5 minutes.

Just as Ginny was asking where the devil Al had gotten off to, he appeared. Although he had his father's dark hair and green eyes, he walked without his confidence. When Rose was introduced to him, he only smiled shyly.

Charlotte and William dragged Rose a little ways away from the group.

"Alright my love, you've always wanted to go to Hogwarts, are you ready?" Charlotte asked. Rose nodded emphatically. "We'll write to you all of the time, and we expect letters in return." Charlotte said, mock seriously.

"Have such a wonderful time Rosie." William said. "Remember to be yourself, make friends, and never be ashamed to ask anyone any question. You're coming from a different world and you have nothing to be ashamed of if there's something you don't know or understand. Ok?" Rose nodded.

"Ah, we're going to miss you." Charlotte pulled the two of them into a tight family hug. The train's whistle blew and they walked Rose over to the door of the train.

"Rose Watson!" Hermione called. She walked over to Rose and gave her a hug. "If you have any questions or just need someone to talk to who understands the whole 'muggle-born at Hogwarts' thing, feel free to send me a letter. Ok?" Rose nodded. "You're going to have a wonderful time."

Her parents gave her a final hug, and then Rose was on the train on the way to Hogwarts.

She sat in a carriage with James and Albus Potter and Rose Weasley, and even though they were all cousins and had known each other their whole lives, Rose didn't feel excluded.

"We're going to have to come up with nicknames." James said matter-of-factly. "The fact that there are two Rose Ws is just too confusing."

"When we get to Hogwarts won't people just call us by our surnames?" Rose Watson asked.

"Yeah, but for the next several hours we're going to need to do something because it's making me feel sick watching both of you whip your heads around when someone says 'Rose.'" They all laughed at that. They threw ideas back and forth for a while, but no ideas were really _right_.

"I have an idea." Rose Weasley said. "How about we just go by our favourite book characters names?"

"Brilliant!" Rose Watson responded, "If your answer is books, we're definitely going to be friends." Rose thought it best not to tell them to call her Hermione, so she opted for another option. "My middle name is 'Elizabeth,' after the character from _Pride and Prejudice,_ so I guess you can call me Lizzie for now."

"Call me Scout." Rose Weasley declared.

"Ooh, I love _To Kill a Mockingbird_." Said Rose. Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief, no longer worried about making friends

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" All four of them brightened at the thought of sweets. Each had been packed with a sandwich, but they supplemented their lunch with chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes, and pumpkin juice.

Rose looked out the window as she ate, the British countryside passing in a green blur. She smiled, relishing in the delicious food, new friends, and beautiful view.

After finishing lunch they each changed into their uniforms and robes. James wore a gold and red striped tie and his robes were emblazoned with the Gryffindor crest. The Roses and Al both wore black Hogwarts ties and robes with the Hogwarts crest. Rose looked forward to being sorted and watching her clothing magically change before her eyes.

The sun had set by the time they pulled into Hogsmede station. They disembarked and were surrounded by hundreds of other students. People called out to one another and shared embraces. Rose heard "how was your summer?" Over a dozen times.

For a moments she lost Rose and Al in the crowd. Her heart pounded and she looked left and right, trying to fight down the panic of being separated from her new friends. But then she spotted Rose's bright red hair. She breathed a sigh of relief as she re-joined them. All of the older students were walking together towards the carriages that would take them to the castle. But as first years, they would approach the castle by boat.

"Where do we go?" asked Al, his voice wavering. They all looked around, trying to find a person of authority, or at least a student who knew where to go.

"First years over here!" Boomed a loud voice, which belonged to a tall man in his thirties, with tanned skin and dark hair. He wore dark green robes over a brown tunic and trousers, and a large ring of keys hung from his belt. The first years formed a small crowd around him, and he quickly did a head count to make sure that everyone was there. "Hello everyone, I'm Pan Bircher, technically a professor, but I'm not really much for ceremony. We're going to head over to the lake now, get yourselves into groups of three, so we're all ready to go."

"Excuse me Professor Bircher?" Rose Watson asked. "What happened to Hagrid?"

Bircher let out a great booming laugh. "Firstly, just call me Bircher. You a muggle-born?" He asked. Rose nodded. "Hagrid's retired, he still lives on the grounds and eats in the Great Hall, but he's in his 80s now, so he doesn't really do much." Rose let out a sigh of relief, unsure which she was more pleased about—that Hagrid was still alive, or that he even existed at all.

They followed Bircher up a dirt path that was surrounded by trees. They turned a bend in the road and Rose stopped, unable to breathe. Ahead of them was the dark lake which reflected the stars and moon. Beyond that, Hogwarts rose from the darkness, its hundreds of windows illuminated against the night. It was more beautiful than Rose had ever imagined, and she pinched herself to make sure that she was not dreaming.

"Alright, be careful everyone." Bircher called out as he began helping students into the boats.

"What if we fall in?" Rose Watson asked. "Will the giant squid eat us?"

A few students who overheard her laughed, "there's no giant squid, where would you get an idea like that?" Rose's face burned red in the darkness.

"I don't know" she mumbled, "it looks like the type of lake to have a monster living in it." This would not be the last time where something that Rose had read in _Harry Potter_ would not turn out to be true.

She, Al, and Rose all clambered into a boat and they were soon skimming across the dark water. They all sat silently, entranced by the magnificent castle that lay before them.

When they reached the other side Bircher helped them exit their boats. He led them up a staircase and into the castle. Standing before the giant doors of the great hall was a tiny, white-haired wizard enrobed in a flowing silver cloak.

"Good evening first years!" His voice was a high squeak. "I am Professor Flitwick, the deputy headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a few moments we will pass through these doors behind me and into the Great Hall. There you will each be sorted into one of four houses. You will be called alphabetically. When your name is called please come forward and sit on the stool, at which point I will place the Sorting Hat on your head. Once you have been sorted please go and sit at your house's table. Any questions?" No one said a word.

The doors behind him swung open.

"In that case, welcome to Hogwarts."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Professor Flitwick led them into the Great Hall. Rose was glad to see that she was not the only student who gazed around in awe at their surroundings. The ceiling was the dark blue of the night sky and hundreds of candles floated above their heads. Four large fireplaces were each filled with a roaring fire, each in a different colour: red, blue, green, and yellow.

They walked to the front of the Hall where an old and ragged hat sat on a stool. A tear near the hats brim opened and it began to sing.

 _Tonight for you I'll sing a song_

 _And afterwards find where you belong_

 _Perhaps you'll go to Gryffindor_

 _with those who are good and daring_

 _Or in Hufflepuff_

 _where dwell the loyal and caring_

 _To Ravenclaw_

 _go those with brains who always do strive_

 _Or perhaps to Slytherin_

 _for those with cunning and drive_

 _I'll look into your heads with my magical sight_

 _And put you where you ought to be, for I am always right!_

After the hat finished its song the Great Hall erupted into applause. At the head table a witch in flowing velvet robes stood up. She motioned for silence and the whole room went quiet.

Professor Flitwick clambered up on a footstool next to the Sorting Hat. In his hand he held a piece of parchment, which unfurled was longer that he was. He cleared his throat and called out in his high-pitched voice,

"Anderson, Zoe!" A girl edged her way through the crowd and hesitantly sat on the stool. Professor Flitwick placed the hat on her head, and after a few moments it called out, "Hufflepuff!" The yellow fire blazed brighter for a few moments, and the table filled with students dressed in yellow and black erupted into cheers. Zoe smiled and scurried over to the Hufflepuff table. A girl who was obviously her sister gave her a hug, and she was clapped on the back by many of her sister's friends.

Professor Flitwick continued through the roll, and soon every house had received a new member.

"Johnson, Aria!" Aria walked confidently up to the stool and sat. Professor Flitwick, from his perch on top of his footstool placed the Sorting Hat onto her head. Almost immediately the slit that served as its mouth opened and in a great voice it boomed out "Gryffindor!" The red fire burned brightly as Aria's face broke into a large grin and she quickly hurried over to the Gryffindor table where she was congratulated and welcomed by the students already sitting there.

Several more students were sorted before Rose recognized another name.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" A thin boy with white blond hair walked forward, his shoulders back and his head held high. He sat on the stool, his eyes hard and confident. After a minute of the hat being on his head he frowned slightly, but when at last the hat called out "Slytherin," his face broke into a satisfied grin. The green fire flamed and he confidently walked over to the Slytherin table which had erupted into cheers and hooting.

"Potter, Albus!" At the sound of his name the entire Great Hall fell completely silent, and then the whispering started. _That's Harry Potter's son. Potter? Did he say Potter?_ The _Potter?_ Al had turned bright red and he slowly approached the hat with his head down. He slumped on the stool, his mouth set in a hard line and his eyes filled with anxiety. The hat had barely been placed on his head for a moment when it called out, "Gryffindor!" Al's shoulders sagged as the tension left his body and he smiled. The Gryffindor table was going mad, calling and shouting and clapping. Rose saw James leap up and give him a hug. Al looked slightly shell-shocked and more than a little relieved.

Rose stopped paying attention to the sorting, content to look at the ceiling. She had never seen so many stars before and could not believe that she was not looking at the actual night sky. She snapped back to attention as she heard a familiar name.

"Shah, Nisha!" Rose smiled at Nisha as she passed her. Nisha returned the smile, if a little nervously. She perched on the stool, her legs too short to touch the floor. After some consideration the hat declared that she ought to be in, "Hufflepuff!" Nisha smiled and was welcomed loudly by the Hufflepuffs.

"Spencer, Thomas!" Thom looked even paler than he had a few days previously, and Rose thought he might faint. But he made it to the front of the crowd and sat on the stool. He looked immensely relieved when the hat called out, "Hufflepuff!"

Rose was startled out of her day dreaming about quidditch by the sound of her own name.

"Watson, Rose!" Rose's stomach did somersaults as she approached the stool. She heard Rose Weasley whisper "good luck." And then she was sitting on the tall stool, the entire school hushed, and watching her. Rose tried to stay calm, tried to remember to breathe, but she was mostly concerned with staying upright on the stool and not falling over. Professor Flitwick placed the hat on her head.

"Ah, a muggle-born." A silky voice said inside her head. Rose started a little. "No family history to draw on, so let's just look at you. Hmm, very bookish and studious. Rather intelligent too. I know where to put you. Ravenclaw!" The hat shouted and Rose could feel herself grinning. The blue fire burned a little more brightly. Cheers erupted from the Ravenclaw table and she practically ran over. A tall girl with short brown hair moved over and motioned Rose to sit next to her.

"Congratulations!"

"Welcome to Ravenclaw!"

"You're going to love it here, we're pretty much the best house."

"I'm Isabelle," the girl who had given Rose a seat stuck out her hand. "And welcome to Ravenclaw, the greatest house at Hogwarts." She smiled at Rose. "Is your family pretty Ravenclaw?"

"I'm actually a muggle-born, but my family would be Ravenclaw. My parents are professors at a muggle university, we're all nerds."

"Well, nerds are the best. And if you have any questions about how things run around here, just ask. I'm a third year, so I pretty much know how things work."

Another hush fell over the hall as Professor Flitwick called out the next name,

"Weasley, Rose!" Rose walked purposefully towards the stool. Some whispers could be heard throughout the Hall, _Hermione Granger_ and _Ron Weasley's daughter. A sure thing for Gryffindor._ She seemed calm, if a little nervous. After what seemed like several minutes the hat cried, "Gryffindor!" Rose smiled and made her way to the Gryffindor table where she was greeted warmly by her cousins and all of the other students.

And with that, the sorting was complete. Professor Flitwick rolled up the long piece of parchment, and made his way to the staff table where he sat at the right hand of the Headmistress. Who again stood up.

"Good evening students. I am Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts. I would like to offer a warm welcome to all of our new students. I am sure you are all hungry, so I'll save the rest of my words for after the meal. Dig in!" She waved her hands and suddenly the dishes in front of them were piled with food.

Rose served herself vegetables and mashed potatoes, pasta and tofu (she made a mental note to write Ben and inform him).

"Rose!" She turned around and saw Al and Rose Weasley sitting right behind her. "Congrats on Ravenclaw, the hat almost put me there." Rose Weasley said.

"You happy with Gryffindor?"

"Definitely, mum wouldn't have minded, she was almost put in Ravenclaw too, but basically every Weasley ever has been a Gryffindor, wouldn't want to be the one to break that family tradition." Rose said with a laugh.

"Pumpkin juice?" Isabelle asked Rose, who nodded. Isabelle turned to the people sitting next to her, who were also third years, and began chatting away. Rose was sitting at the very end of the table, as she had been the last Ravenclaw to be sorted. Across the table a few first years were talking, judging from their conversation, they already knew each other.

Rose wasn't sure if she should try to join the conversation and introduce herself. She was not good at making new friends, having had the same friends for years.

One of the boys looked up and noticed Rose eating quietly. He stuck out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Leo. You're Rose, right?" She nodded. "This is Maria and Leah," he gestured to the two girls sitting on either side of him. They smiled.

"Heya" said Leah, "you the first in your family to be in Ravenclaw?"

"I'm the first in my family to go to Hogwarts, I'm muggle-born."

"Wicked, one of my mum's is a muggle so we live a bit in both worlds. You get used to it."

"My dad's muggle-born" Leo said. "But now I think he's more a part of the wizarding world than my mum even is, and she's pure blood."

They spent the rest of the meal chatting about their families, and where they came from. Leo asked Rose what subject she was looking forward to most, but before she could answer Professor McGonagall stood up.

"I do hope you enjoyed that magnificent feast, but now we must turn to business. Classes begin promptly tomorrow morning, all students will find their timetables in their house common rooms. Those wishing to join their house quidditch team should speak with Madame Airee. I know I do not have to remind you that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden for all students. Now let us sing the Hogwarts song!"

The words for the song erupted out of the end of her wand and the whole school sang together. As they all finished, Professor Mcgonagall cried out, "good night!"

Everyone scrambled to their feet and all of the older students began making their way out of the hall. Isabelle waved to Rose before following her friends.

"Ravenclaw first years!" Two tall students with auburn hair and bright blue eyes called to them. They quickly gathered around them. "Alright everyone, I'm Lizzie Thomas, your female prefect-"

"And I'm Will Thomas, I'm your male prefect."

"Yes, we're twins," they said in unison before anyone could ask. They led the first years out of the Great Hall and up a massive staircase. Then they took them behind a large tapestry. Down a corridor and up another staircase.

"Watch for the vanishing stair!" They called behind them. After what seemed like an hour to their exhausted minds, but was actually only a few minutes, they reached a large bronze door. In the centre of the door hung a bronze door knocker in the shape of an eagle. Lizzie reached out and knocked.

The mouth of the eagle opened and a musical voice came pouring out.

"What does the poor man have that the rich man desires?"

"Nothing." Rose blurted out.

"Well reasoned," said the doorknocker, and the door swung open. Her classmates congratulated her on the riddle as they entered the common room.

The room was large and circular, with marble floors and walls. The ceiling was painted like the night sky. Huge windows filled every wall, and every other free spot was filled with bookshelves. A large fire roared in the grate and the ceiling was draped in blue silks. Several desks and matching chairs filled the room, but for tonight at least, they were empty. The older students who had already reached the common room sat on blue divans and sofas. When the first years entered they whooped and cheered and cried out greetings.

"Come on everyone, let's show you the dormitories." Lizzie and Will led them past a tall marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw and up a marble staircase, which branched at the first landing. "Girls follow me,"

"And boys follow me." They separated and were led up to the first door. Lizzie opened it.

"First year girls, welcome to your room!" Moonlight streamed through the large windows and illuminated the five four-poster beds. Each bed was hung with blue and bronze silk curtains with a pattern like the night sky. Glowing blue orbs floated above each of the beds, providing further light. Their trunks and animals had already been placed at the foot of each of their beds. "I'd recommend introducing yourselves to each other and then heading to bed, because tomorrow is an early day. You can pick up your time tables tomorrow morning. Good night!" Lizzie existed the room. Silence settled over the room.

Rose was the first to come forward.

"I'm Rose." They all introduced themselves to each other. Besides for Leah and Maria, there were two other Ravenclaw first-year girls: Nina and Jane. They all changed into their pyjamas, unpacked their trunks and walked down the corridor to brush their teeth before bed.

They chatted a little, but then their comfortable beds were too much to resist, and they all drifted off to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Rose awoke early, a glance at her watch told her it was 7:32, and her first class was not until 9. She tried to go back to sleep, but the butterflies fluttering in her stomach would not let her. She quietly dressed, carefully tying her newly blue and bronze tie like her parents had taught her. She slipped on her robes, grabbed her book bag, and descended the stairs to the common room. The room was deserted and she dropped her bag onto one of the large wooden tables before walking over to one of the large windows that overlooked the lake. She breathed deeply, relishing the fact that this was real, this was not a dream or a fantasy or make-believe. Rose walked over to the bookshelves and surveyed them, they were filled with textbooks, novels, and nonfiction books. She only recognized a few, either from her own reading list or the muggle world.

Rose sat down at one of the desks and pulled out some of the stationery that Ben gave her. She spent the next 30 minutes writing to him, then she wrote to her parents. She was just finishing up her letter when the first students started shuffling down into the common room. She found the stack of timetables and located her own. Her first class was Charms.

"Morning Rose!" Rose turned around and saw Leo.

"Hey Leo." She responded with a smile. She looked down at her watch, "we have half an hour until first class, should we go to breakfast?"

"Yeah, I mean, who knows how long it will take us to find the way to class. All the Ravenclaw first years have all of their classes together, right?" Leo asked as they passed through the common room door. Rose nodded. They followed some older students to the Great Hall and found seats at the mostly empty Ravenclaw table. They sat next to each other and filled their plates with breakfast.

"So, what do you think so far?" Leo asked Rose, "Hogwarts living up to your expectation?" Rose nodded emphatically.

"It's amazing. Everything is just so beautiful and, well, _magical_."

Leo laughed, and agreed. "What do you think Charms is going to be like?"

"I don't know, I'm a little nervous. I have no experience with any magic and what if I can't do anything?" Rose responded.

"Don't worry about it Rose, you're here for a reason. And just because I've grown up seeing magic everyday doesn't mean I'm going to be any good at it." Leo said with a smile.

"Thanks Leo." She breathed a sigh of relief, "How do you know Maria and Leah, how do all of you wizard kids know each other?"

"Maria and I are from Godric's Hollow, there's a wizarding community there. We attended muggle primary school together. I know a bunch of kids here, but I don't really know Leah at all. Did you know anyone?"

"I met the rest of the first year muggle-borns, but I don't really know them that well, and then I know Rose Weasley and James and Al Potter. I mean I sat with them on the train, but that's about it."

"Well now you have me!" Leo said with a smile. Some other first years came and joined them, Leo introduced her to his new roommates, and she introduced him to hers. All of them walked together to Charms.

By some miracle, or by some magical intervention, they arrived to class on time. When they entered the classroom Professor Flitwick was standing on his desk. He gestured for them to find seats.

"Welcome first years! Please find your seats, two students per desk, no need to sit alphabetically." Flitwick squeaked.

Rose and Leo rushed to the front of the room and sat at one of the two desks at the very front. As Rose saw the feathers lying on each desk, she smiled. After everyone had seated themselves, Professor Flitwick clapped for attention, cutting the sounds of parchment rustling and chairs being dragged.

"Welcome to Charms, as you know I am Professor Flitwick, in addition to being the deputy headmaster, I am the head of Ravenclaw House and your Charms professor. As you are all Ravenclaws I want you to know that my door is always open, whether you need help with your schoolwork or more personal matters. But this is Charms, so let us do some magic!

"In all things, especially magic, it is important to start with the basics. Today," he flicked his wand and words magically wrote themselves on the blackboard. "We will start with one of the most basic spells: 'wingardium leviosa,' the levitation charm. Many of you may not accomplish it on your first try, and that is completely normal. This is the first time that any of you are doing intentional magic, and it can take some time to channel that power into actual actions. I will demonstrate the spell and then we will practice the motion, without wands to start with-we do not want anyone blowing up the classroom." He said with a smile. Flitwick moved behind a stack of books which stood on his desk. On the top rested a large white feather. Flitwick lifted his wand and swished it up and then flicked as he said "wingardium leviosa!" The feather lifted up and soared into the air. Flitwick kept his wand trained on the feather as it floated higher and higher.

All Rose could do was stare, even though she had seen Hermione perform this spell it was still incredibly exciting. She waited, practically vibrating with excitement to try the magic herself.

"Wands down, at least for now." Flitwick called. "We'll practice the swish-and-flick motion with our empty hands, and then progress to wands. All together now: _wingardium_ during the swish, and _leviosa_ during the flick" The whole class held out their empty hands and copied Flitwick's motions while carefully enunciating the words of the spell. Rose felt a little silly, and she heard a few people giggle in the back. Flitwick climbed down from his desk and walked amongst the rows of desks, carefully observing each student's technique, stopping periodically to adjust a person's arm or offer a critique of pronunciation. When he was satisfied with everyone, he bade them pick up their wands and try for real.

Rose lifted her wand, and she was filled with that same warm sensation she had felt back at Ollivander's. She breathed in and concentrated, imagining the feather soaring high into the air. She blocked out her classmates' loud incantations, and began.

"Wingardium leviosa!" She said as she fluidly gestured with her wand. In her mind she saw the feather floating up and up. And then, as though borne on a light breeze, the feather began to rise. Rose almost dropped her wand in shock, but she remained steady, keeping her wand and eyes trained on her feather.

"Look everyone, Ms. Watson's done it!" Flitwick had noticed her feather. Rose's face broke into a huge smile. And inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been so worried that she would be a complete failure, that she would not actually be able to perform magic. Leo clapped her on the back.

"Well done, I told you that you wouldn't have a problem." Leo said with a smile. Rose let her feather slowly float back to the table. She watched Leo as he attempted the spell. On the second try he succeeded, his feather rising above their heads, and a smile plastered to his face.

"Well done Mr. Rowan." Professor Flitwick cried from across the room. Rose and Leo high-fived. Flitwick brought them each a small book to practice on, and they spent the rest of the period lifting the books higher and higher. By the end of the class the rest of their classmates had also succeeded in levitating the feathers. Professor Flitwick had been overjoyed, telling them that he had not had a class in years where every student had accomplished the spell in their first class. "But you are all Ravenclaws," he's said with a wink, "so I'm not really that surprised."

He dismissed them without assigning homework beyond, "practice, practice, practice!"

"That was amazing." Rose said as they made their way to the greenhouses. "I did magic!" She spun around with her arms flung out. Leo and a few other students laughed.

"You were really brilliant Rose, well done." Leah smiled as they walked. "You're a natural."

"Thanks Leah, you were also spectacular." Rose responded. "What do you think Herbology will be like?"

"I've heard Professor Longbottom is a great teacher, but there's only so much you can do to make plants interesting." Leo said with a laugh.

"And we've got it with the Slytherins." Leah moaned. Rose scrunched up her face.

"They can't all be that bad, right?" Rose asked.

"I mean, technically they're just ambitious, which isn't negative, it's just a lot of them come from dark families." Leah said. "My mum had a really close friend from Slytherin. Of course her family looked down on her for marrying a muggle, but mum and her friend are still close."

As they neared the greenhouse they merged with the group of Slytherins who were coming from Potions in the dungeons. A few students exchanged nods or hellos, but generally the groups remained separate.

They entered the greenhouse, which was full of bright sunshine, despite the fact that many of the walls were covered in climbing vines of various sizes and hues. Instead of desks the center of the room was occupied by a large table around which the students arrayed themselves. The table was covered in dozens of pots, each filled with a different plant. Some were flowering, other leafy, or spiky. There was not a single one that Rose recognized. Small hoes and trowels were scattered across the table and a large watering can stood in one corner. The only thing missing was their professor.

They heard a large clattering from the greenhouse next door, and a tall man wearing flowing light green robes entered, a large wicker basket clutched in his arms. He set the basket down on the table with a small thud and wiped his hands on his robes. He looked around the table and smiled.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Professor Neville Longbottom, welcome to Herbology."

 _Author's note: I will hopefully be writing and posting Rose's and Ben's letters to each other as a separate story. Not sure when that will happen, but stay tuned!_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Professor Longbottom was different than Rose had imagined, his blond hair had darkened and he was tall, with broad shoulders. When he smiled he displayed a mouth of straight teeth.

"In your first year of Herbology you will be learning how to plant and tend to magical flora. You will learn practical applications and uses for a wide variety of both magical herbs and other plants. There is a good bit of theoretical work involved in Herbology, and we won't learn everything hands on," Professor Longbottom paused, and said with a smile, "but do expect to get your hands dirty almost every class. Any questions?"

The students remained silent, until one of the Slytherin students raised his hand, "Professor, what's the point of, well, _plants?_ " Professor Longbottom smiled.

"I'm rather glad you asked that. Herbology is often unappreciated for it's importance in magic. Not only do potions use magical herbs and flowers, but almost every magical plant has a purpose, they can be used to heal and to harm. Does that answer your question?"

The student nodded.

"Everyone, put your bags and notebooks away, I don't want them getting covered in soil. You should all have gardening gloves, has anyone forgotten them." The students shook their heads. "Wonderful, everyone put them on and we'll get started."

They spent the first lesson learning how to properly replant bouncing bulbs, first delicately removing them from their pots and then carefully replacing them in fresh soil. It sounded easy, but soon the air was full of small purple roots which jumped out of people's hands before bouncing onto the floor and table, and a few times into the students faces. Professor Longbottom explained the importance of patience when working with plants, each thing they would work with would require a different approach and touch. Nothing should or could be assumed, and being careful, no matter what the plant, was of the utmost importance.

Professor Longbottom dismissed them from the greenhouse, instructing them to read the various uses for bouncing bulbs, and to write one side of parchment about the history and practical applications about the plant.

"Ms Watson," Professor Longbottom stopped Rose as she was exiting the greenhouse, "a moment?" Rose followed him back inside the greenhouse, "I know that you probably don't want special treatment, but Hermione told me about you, and I just wanted to say my door is always open if you ever have questions about anything. Hogwarts can be tough, no matter your background. Can I give you a piece of advice?" Rose nodded. "Make friends, find those people that are kind, and interesting, and will always have your back."

"Thanks Professor," Rose said, and turned to exit the greenhouse. Leo and Leah were waiting for her as she came out into the sunshine.

"What was that about?" Leo asked as they began walking towards the Great Hall for lunch.

"He just wanted to reach out, he's friends with Hermione Granger and I guess she told him about me, that I'm muggle born." Rose responded.

"That was sweet of him." Leah said, shifting her bag to her other shoulder.

"I mean, I guess it's nice, but I'm tired of everyone thinking that just because my parents are muggles I'm going to fail here, or not fit in. I'm not a baby." Rose said, a hard edge to her voice.

"I don't think it's that," Leo said, "they just know that Hogwarts is hard for everyone, but if you're a muggle born you don't have parents or family to ask for advice. Your family just doesn't have answers to the questions you'll ask."

Rose sighed, "I guess you're right."

By the time they had arrived in the Great Hall for lunch, it was full of the sounds of students chatting and forks and knives scraping against plates. They scanned the Ravenclaw table in search of a space to sit. Isabelle, the third year who Rose had met the night before, saw them and waved them over.

"Heya Rose, alright?" Isabelle asked.

"Hi Isabelle, this is Leo and Leah." She gestured to her friends, who had sat opposite Rose and Isabelle. They waved.

"You're all first years, right?" Isabelle asked, "I recognize you from sorting last night. How're classes so far?"

"Really good, we've had Charms and Herbology. Leo got smacked in the head by a bouncing bulb, but otherwise it's been amazing." Leah said with a laugh.

"Oi!" Leo called, "that's only because you weren't handling them properly and yours shot out of your hands and hit me."

Isabelle laughed. "Our first year some kid broke her nose, there was blood everywhere, and then this other kid fainted and smacked his head on the table going down."

"That sounds dangerous, I'm surprised they didn't stop using them." Rose said.

"That's something you should learn now about Hogwarts, they care more about you learning than you staying alive." Isabelle laughed, "Obviously they don't let you near anything too dangerous, at least not until you're a bit older. But a few broken noses aren't going to stop the way they teach."

Rose was not sure if she should laugh or be terrified, either way this was very different from her primary school, where they had considered banning football after someone sprained his ankle. She decided she liked it better this way, what was life without room for danger and adventure?

"What class do you have next?" Isabelle asked as she took a sip of pumpkin juice. Rose, Leo, and Leah each pulled out their timetables and examined them.

"General studies," Leah said.

"What's that?" Rose asked, the name did not sounds familiar.

"It's basically general knowledge stuff, continuation from muggle primary school: maths, literature, some history, and science. The class obviously isn't as exciting as some of the other classes, but the professor is cool."

"I didn't know they taught that here." Rose said, "I thought it was all magic."

Isabelle shook her head, "obviously magic is the most important, but they still need to teach us, well, _basic_ things. But it's all taught pretty magically. Like we read wizarding literature, and learn spells for how to do maths calculations, stuff like that."

That was definitely a surprise, but Rose was looking forward to the class, she had always loved literature and science, and she was excited to be able to continue learning them.

They finished eating and walked to class. The classroom was at the top of a spiral staircase hidden behind a woven tapestry of two unicorns drinking tea. The classroom looked at once familiar, but also incredibly strange. Posters lined the wall, some were of the covers of books, others of maths tables, or historical figures. It looked like any number of the classrooms Rose had learned in, except here, everything was moving. A large poster of Shakespeare sitting behind a desk writing actually had the Bard's hand moving across his piece of parchment, words flowing from his quill. Every once and awhile he cocked his head to the side, as if deep in thought. Queen Elizabeth I looked down on them from a horse, her hair flowing in the wind, her horse shaking his head.

At the front of the room stood a young wizard in flowing blue robes. His brown hair curled around his face, and his hazel eyes hid behind bright green spectacles. In one hand he held a book, and in the other his wand.

"Welcome, welcome!" He called as they filed into the classroom. "Sit anywhere you like, just do it quickly, we've got a lot to do today." Rose and Leo once again sat at the front. Everyone pulled out notebooks, quills, and pots of ink. Rose had a pen in her bag, just in case, but was looking forward to trying out her new quill.

"Alright, before we jump into the meat of the course I want to tell you a little about myself. My name is Professor Simon Bell, it's my third year teaching at Hogwarts. After I left Hogwarts as a student I attended muggle university to become a teacher, I recently finished my PhD in English literature, which basically means I spent a great deal of time reading books and then writing something that no one would ever actually read. I knew I wanted to become a teacher and Professor Mcgonagall seemed to like me well enough so she gave me the job.

"This class will be a continuation of the types of things you learned in primary school: maths, literature, some history, science. We meet every day and focus on a different subject each day. Most of the literature we read will have been written by magical folk, but some will be muggle. We'll learn about English history, but through the lens of the Wizarding World. In maths I'll teach you spells for calculating sums and measuring things, and in science we'll be focusing on the human body and how it works, but we'll use exciting spells for that. Any questions?" Everyone shook their heads. "Let's all go around really quickly and tell me your names and what subject you loved most in primary school, and which you hated, and where you're from." He pointed to Leo, "you start."

"Hi, I'm Leo Rowan. I'm from Godric's Hollow. My favourite subject was literature, and I'm rubbish at maths."

"Ah yes, the dreaded maths, but never fear, they shouldn't be as horrendous as in primary school, or at least I hope not." Professor Bell replied with a laugh. He pointed to Rose.

"Hello, I'm Rose Watson and I'm from Oxfordshire. I love literature and science, but I'm-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt Ms Watson. Are your parents professors at Oxford?" Professor Bell asked, his eyes had lit up and he looked incredibly excited. Rose nodded. "This is incredibly random, I know, but are you related to Charlotte Watson?" Rose nodded again.

"She's my mother."

"What a tiny world this is! Your mother was my professor and was one of my advisors, fabulous woman. I can't believe her daughter's at Hogwarts!" He noticed that Rose was blushing slightly. "Sorry, for that everyone, I do love making connections. Ms Watson, before I so rudely interrupted you, you were about to say your least favourite subject."

"Right, I'm also rubbish at maths. I want to like it, I really do, but no matter what I do, maths still hates me."

They went around to the rest of the class, each responding to Professor Bell's questions in turn. When they had finished, Professor Bell sat on his desk, his legs crossed. He held up a book, "we'll be beginning with the classics, _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ , now you might be thinking to yourselves, 'that's children's stories, why are we learning that in school?' and I will tell you, there's a lot to learn about life and literature from this book. We'll also be comparing them to some muggle fairy tales to see how the two cultures influenced each other's writing.

They spent the rest of the class reading _The Tale of Three Brothers_ , and were dismissed with the homework to: read two more stories and compare and contrast them.

As they filed out of the room Professor Bell stopped Rose, "sorry for putting you on the spot like that, I just very excited, worlds colliding and all of that. Tell your mum I say hi?" Rose heartily assented. 'Well, I won't keep you any longer, don't want you to be late for class, see you tomorrow!"

"You sure are popular with the teachers." Leo said with a laugh.

"At least Professor Flitwick hasn't taken me aside yet." Rose said with a smile.

"Hurry up!" Leah called from down the corridor, "we need to get all the way down to the dungeons and we only have five minutes." They hurried the rest of the way, and managed to catch up with the rest of the Ravenclaw students at the top of the staircase leading to the Potions dungeons. The classroom was empty when they arrived, the Hufflepuff first years, who they were meant to be having the lesson with, had not yet shown up.

A tall figure in black robes entered the classroom from a wooden door near the front of the room. He surveyed them and checked a silver pocket watch he withdrew from the folds of his robe.

"It would appear that your peers are late," he said, and then muttered, "which is unsurprising for Hufflepuffs." He flicked his wand and words appeared on the blackboard. "Well, come sit down, three to a table."

As soon as Rose, Leo, and Leah had seated themselves at a table near the front of the room, the Hufflepuff students burst in.

"Ah, so good of you to join us."

"Sorry Professor, we got lost." Thom said.

"What has happened to your maps?"

"We don't have any sir."

"Everyone sit down and pull out your timetables. Turn them over. On the back of your timetables is a map of Hogwarts. If you want to know where you are, point your wand at the parchment and say 'me,' if you want to get direction to a place, say 'to Potions' or what have you. I cannot believe no one has told you about that. Ingenious idea Hermione Granger developed in her last year. Really makes things much easier."

The class filled with murmurs and whispers and students pointed their wands at their timetables.

Their professor clapped his hands for quiet as he strode to the front of the room, and spun around, his robes flapping around him. "I am Professor Damocles, in this class we won't be waving wands so put those away now. Here there will be direct contact between you and the magic. You will learn practical skills and how to think for yourselves.

"Today we will learn basic skills for potions, how to properly chop materials and stir a cauldron, what protective measures to take so nothing goes wrong, and what to do if something does anyway."

Professor Damocles demonstrated techniques and then walked between the tables, and watched them as they sliced tubers and mashed dried beetles. At the centre of each table was a small cauldron, he showed them how to light a fire beneath it (for this they used wands), they took turns learning different types of stirring techniques. At this, one child laughed.

Professor Damocles whipped around to face the offending party. "Think it's funny do you? How does this sound, you stir too vigorously or slowly and your potion blows up in your face, or lets off toxic fumes and kills you." He turned to face the class, his voice steely, "nothing in this class is a joke."

From that point on no one made a peep, except for Professor Damocles who complimented and guided each of them. At the end of class they were assigned reading and told to write a side of parchment about the importance of stirring technique.

"What did you think?" Leo asked as they walked to their next class, each of them keeping an eye on their newfound maps.

"As my mom would say: he's a contradiction in terms. He's really helpful and obviously wants us to succeed, but at the same time he's really harsh." Rose responded.

"Remind me to never laugh in his presence," Leah added.

They walked with the rest of the Ravenclaw first years, and when they reached the corridor which led to Transfiguration, they were joined by the Gryffindor first years.

Rose saw Al and Rose Weasley and waved them over.

"Heya! Leo and Leah, meet Rose and Albus." Rose Watson introduced her friends.

Leo looked back and forth between the two Roses and said with a laugh, "This is going to be confusing."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The door to the classroom swept open. Behind it stood a tall witch. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a bun and she wore green silk robes that swirled around her feet. She turned and beckoned them into the classroom. As she walked up the aisle towards the front of the room she turned and said,

"Two to a desk, please sit with someone who is not in your house."

Rose and Leo shot each other looks, _I guess we won't be sitting together._ Both Roses found themselves at the front of the room, they smiled at each other and sat down. Students began pulling notebooks and quills, pots of ink and wands out of their bags. Rose noticed that two small matches had been placed on their desk.

Their professor cleared her throat and the room became silent. She flicked her wand and words appeared on the blackboard: _First year Transfiguration_. The words were accompanied by detailed diagrams with complicated looking equations. One side of the board showed a match, on the other, with arrows in between, a needle.

"My name is Athena Adair, welcome to Transfiguration. This will be the most scientific course you take while at Hogwarts. It requires intense concentration and understanding of the materials with which you are working with. Today we'll begin with one of the more simple spells: turning a match into a needle." She withdrew a match from her pocket and struck it on the air in front of her. The tip of the match flared blue, when almost the whole match had been consumed she waved the flame out. She pointed her wand at the match and it transformed back to its unburned state. She waved her wand again and the match morphed from wood to silver, it's tip changed from a dull, rounded blue, to sharp and silver. Rose looked around and saw that the rest of her classmates were as enraptured as she was.

"Now, that was a rather more complicated version of what you are going to be doing today, but I wanted to show you that in all transfigurations there will be more and less complicated ways of doing things. Transfiguration builds upon itself, often using many small spells to accomplish the desired goal. Now pick up your wands and let's get started."

Professor Adair taught them the spell, and demonstrated the proper pronunciation and wand movements, cautioning them to be very precise, as a minute change could have disastrous effects, "a student once set the whole room on fire when he accidentally lit his match instead of transfiguring it."

After she was satisfied that the students were not going to burn down the castle, Professor Adair urged them to begin.

Rose picked up her wand and trained it on the needle. She envisioned the wood morphing into silver, the atoms rearranging to create something entirely new. She saw the soft, pliable wood turn hard and unyielding. She murmured the words of the spell, thrusting her will into the magic. Rose felt the magic pulsing through the wand and into the small piece of wood, but she could also feel the match fighting back, _willing_ , to stay as it was. She coaxed, urging, pleading, the wood to change. It started at the end of the match, a touch of silver that slowly moved its way up the entire length. She saw the match harden and sharpen, and then, where only a few moments before there had been a match, there lay a needle. Rose gasped, her wand hand dropping to the desk. Her arm was sore, as though she had just been carrying an incredibly heavy bag, and her brain felt like it was about to pass out and give up from exhaustion. She turned next to her, and saw the match on the desk slowly morph into a needle. The Roses smiled at each other and high fived.

"Is it just me or was that really hard?" Rose Weasley asked. Rose nodded, relieved that it was not just her. Professor Adair strode over and glanced at their needles. She smiled widely.

"Well done, you can spend the rest of the class gathering your strength. I'd imagine you're both rather shattered right now." The girls nodded. She walked away, bending to guide a student or offer words of advice. Rose glanced to the desk next to them, where Leo and Al sat. Leo sat with a look of intense concentration on his face, his eyes were narrowed, as though the whole world had been focused on the small sliver of wood sitting on the desk in front of him. And then suddenly it was no longer would, but silver. Leo started, almost falling out of his chair. He turned to Rose, a grin on his face. He motioned to the needle, and Rose flashed him two thumbs up.

"How does everyone feel?" Professor Adair asked.

"Tired." A few voices chorused.

"Magic requires energy to work, and you supply that energy. Spell casting is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised in order to be kept fit and in shape. It will get easier with time and you will tire less easily. Tonight I want you to continue practicing this spell, but also get a good night's sleep. You cannot do magic unless you are well rested. For those of you who accomplished it, very well done, but if you have not, do not fear, you will get it soon." She smiled, "magic is difficult, and you are not expected to get everything right the first time."

They shuffled out of the classroom. Rose looked at her timetable.

"How are we supposed to have another class?" She moaned. "I just want to eat and sleep forever. My head feels like it's going to fall off."

Leo laughed. "Only one more and then we're free!"

"Except then we have homework."

"Ew."

They walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts, the whole group exhausted. When they walked into the classroom the witch at the front gave them one look and laughed.

"Have you just come from Transfiguration?" She asked. They nodded. "Ah well, good thing today doesn't include any magic or I think you'd all pass out. Everyone sit down." She swirled her purple silk robes around herself and perched on the edge of her desk. Her black hair was coiled into an elaborate plait that looked like a crown. She waited until they were all seated before beginning.

"I'm Professor Roxanne Shacklebolt."

Rose turned to Leo, "is that the Minister's daughter?" Leo nodded. "Wicked."

" Welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts. This will mostly be a practical course, teaching you spells of protection, and also how to fight. We'll learn about different types of dark creatures and how to interact with them..."

The rest of the class went by in a blur, Rose remembered taking notes, but not anything that was actually said. At one point she feel asleep, she was jerked awake by Leo poking her in the ribs.

"What?" She hissed.

"You fell asleep." Leo said with a laugh.

"Go away, I'm tired and my head hurts."

"Professor Shacklebolt was looking at you." Rose quickly sat up straight at that, not wanting to seem like she was slacking on her first day.

Rose was glad when they were finally dismissed. She could not remember ever feeling this tired, and her head was pounding. She and the rest of the Ravenclaws trudged up the stairs to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Why are there no lifts?" Rose groaned.

"You are so lazy," Leo responded.

"I'm not lazy, I'm tired." She said as she dragged her feet.

After what seemed like miles of stairs and corridors, they finally reached the large bronze door of the Ravenclaw common room. Leah darted forward and knocked.

"What is something so delicate that simply saying its name breaks it?" The silvery voice questioned.

"Why can't we be like one of the other houses and just have a password?" Rose asked, petulant.

"Because we're the smartest house, so we get challenged."

"I'd rather be stupid and boring."

"No you wouldn't."

"True."

"How about instead of arguing you help us." Leah called from by the door.

"Can you repeat the question?" Rose asked.

"What is something so delicate that simply saying its name breaks it." The silvery voice repeated.

"What do you think Rose?" someone asked. "You got the last one." The Ravenclaws murmured amongst each other.

"Yeah, Rose, any ideas?"

"It's too loud to think, I need quiet!" Rose cried.

"Well reasoned." The voice said as the door swung open.

"What just happened?" Rose asked.

"Oh! The answer was 'quiet,'" Leo said. "That was funny."

"Sorry I snapped, everyone. I've got a massive headache and I'm knackered." Rose said as they clambered into the room.

"It's all good, you got us inside, didn't you?" Leah said with a laugh.

"Does anyone have paracetamol?" Rose asked. "My head is killing me."

"What's paracetamol?" Maria asked.

"Um, it's a tablet that helps with headaches and stuff." Rose responded. "Muggle medicine."

"You should go to the infirmary, I'm sure they'll have something." Maria said.

"I'll come with you." Leo said. "Bring your bag, so if you're feeling up to it we can go to the library before dinner." They existed the common room and, using their maps found there way to the infirmary.

The room was the size of a cathedral, with large windows letting in the afternoon sunlight. Empty white beds lined the walls.

"Hello?" Rose called, her voice diffusing into the space. A small door opened on the side of the room and a witch emerged. She was dressed all in white, with a starched collar and apron. Her blonde hair was pinned beneath a white cap.

"Hello, hello. What can I help you with?" She asked, her voice was soft and soothing.

"I have a really bad headache."

"When did it start?"

"A little after Transfiguration, and it's just gotten worse."

"Ah, classic first day Transfiguration headaches, you're about the tenth student to come in with one. It's perfectly normal."

"Why do they happen?"

"You're body isn't used to such taxing magic, and the whole idea of changing the very makeup of something hurts the brain."

"I didn't think that magic would be this hard. I always imagined it would be easier."

"Don't worry, it'll become easier with time. Now, you come sit over here and I'll go get you something." She turned and walked back to the door. With a start she turned back to the pair. "I'm sorry, I didn't ask your names."

"I'm Rose Watson."

"I'm Leo Rowan."

"Madame Abbott, nice to meet you. I'll be right back." She disappeared behind the door.

The main door to the infirmary opened and Professor Longbottom stood, his arms full of flowers.

"Hello Ms Watson, Mr Rowan. I hope everyone is alright?"

"I have a 'Transfiguration headache.'" Rose answered.

"It'll go away soon, Madame Abbott has some wonderful potions for that type of thing."

The door reopened and Madame Abbot emerged, holding a small purple vial. When she saw Professor Longbottom her face lit up.

"Hello Neville, what a lovely surprise." She saw the flowers, "and what are these for?"

"Does a husband need a reason to bring his wife flowers?" He placed the flowers in an empty vase on a nearby table.

"Who knew I married such a romantic." Madame Abbott said with a laugh as she handed Rose the vial. "Drink all of this."

Rose uncorked the vial and downed the vial. She was expecting it to taste medicinal and unpleasant, but instead the thin liquid tasted like plums and springtime. A sense of supreme calm washed over Rose. She felt as though her mind had been dusted off and aired. The room became clearer, she took a deep breath.

"How do you feel?" Madame Abbott asked.

"Amazing." Rose responded, astonished.

"Wonderful, drink a lot of water and come back if you feel worse. Don't overtax yourself, take another hour or two before you start doing magic again."

Rose nodded. She and Leo said their goodbyes.

"You feeling up to go to the library?" Leo asked. Rose nodded.

"I never give up the chance to go to a library." She said with a smile.

They hurried down a corridor, up two staircases, down a ladder hidden behind a tapestry so faded with age that they could not decipher what it depicted. After wandering through the labyrinth of Hogwarts they finally found themselves in front of two large doors.

They pushed the doors open, and Rose found herself in heaven.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Books. Everywhere she looked there were books. Rose had grown up exploring the Oxford libraries, but none of them were as grand as this. The library's glass ceilings were three storeys tall and besides for the main floor there were two levels of balconies that ran the entire perimeter of the room. Late afternoon sunlight illuminated the rows upon rows of bookshelves. Every inch of wall space was taken up by books. There were books of every conceivable size and color and material. Rose had always thought that books needed to be rectangular, but she saw books that were octagonal and circular. The air was filled with the smell of old parchment, and every so often a book would float by, it's covers beating against the air like wings. Everything was silent, there wasn't even the rustle of pages that usually made the soundtrack to every library.

Leo's face mirrored her own: his eyes were wide and his mouth had gone slack. He looked like he was in a trance.

"Merlin's mongoose, this is amazing." He whispered. Or at least that was Rose thought he said. She had only read his lips because he had made no noise. Rose started to say something, but it was as though the words were sucked out of her mouth before she could say them. She called out, "hello!" But no sound actually emerged.

They stared at each other, dumbfounded.

 _We can't talk in here,_ Leo mouthed, astonished. Rose nodded.

 _There must be some charm_. Through the use of hand gestures and exaggerated mouth movements they were able to convey to each other that they should find a table. They walked farther into the library to an area with long oak tables, they found an uninhabited area, and each sat in one of the plush armchairs that lined the table.

Rose pulled out her parchment and books and began working on her assignments. She had never understood how Ron and Harry had hated doing homework. It was magic homework, how could it be boring?

But it turned out that it was, at least a little. Rose was three pages into reading about potion stirring techniques when her brain started to turn to mush. She shook her head, trying to snap some energy back into her thoughts. She enjoyed reading the examples of the bad things that could happen if you incorrectly stirred a potion. Her favourite one was about a boy who stirred too quickly in the wrong direction and the fumes from the cauldron had turned him into a turnip. Rose secretly hoped that she would witness this happening to one of her classmates.

Rose finally finished the paper for potions, using her quill and ink because it was just so much more fun than the pens she had brought. She decided to reward her hard work with spell practice, and then do her Herbology paper next.

She pulled her wand out of her robes and dragged a heavy book towards her. With a swish and flick and a silent whisper of "wingardium leviosa" the book sluggishly rose into the air. It was difficult, and Rose's arm shook as it was raised in the air.

An owlish woman appeared from behind a bookshelf. Her face was screwed into a scowl, and her eyes were narrowed to slits. From her crimson robes she withdrew her wand.

She swooped over and flourished her wand. Red letters appeared in the air that spelled _NO CHARMS_. Rose froze, her wand arm lifted, pointed towards the book. It crashed to the table, and would have slammed, if it was not for the silencing charm working throughout the library. With a final glare over her shoulder at Rose, the librarian swept away. Rose sheepishly put her wand away and turned back to her potions paper.

Leo was laughing, Rose glared at him and swatted his arm. They turned back to their books, and by the time it was dinner Rose had finished the paper about bouncing bulbs. She shoved her books and parchment into her bag and set out with Leo to dinner.

Rose did not realize how hungry she was until she sat down and saw the food laid before her. She and Leo filled their plates and began to stuff their faces. As soon as they finished she turned to Leo.

"Is it acceptable to go to bed?"

Leo nodded eagerly, "I am shattered." They waved to a few first years who were entering the Great Hall, and then climbed to the Ravenclaw common room. Rose barely had time to brush her teeth and get into her pyjamas before she collapsed into bed and fell asleep.

Rose soared above the castle, her hair whipping in the wind. She banked over the lake and skimmed her fingers in the cool water before flying back towards the clouds. The whomping willow rose from the early morning fog and she turned quickly to avoid it, losing her balance in the process. She slid from the broom and began to fall...

She sat upright in bed, her heart about to beat out of her chest. The rest of the dormitory was quiet, and she could see through a slit in the curtains that it was the middle of the night. She clambered out of bed and went to sit by the window. Her earlier exhaustion was gone and she felt wide awake. She stared out onto the moonlit grounds and sighed. There was a lot to that sigh: contentment, anticipation, and more than a bit of nervousness. She was enjoying Hogwarts, she really was, she loved the magic and her new friends, but she missed home. As delicious as the food at Hogwarts was, she missed her dad's cooking. As great as Leo and her other new friends were, she missed Ben terribly.

Rose pressed her forehead to the cold glass, willing herself to fall back asleep. According to her watch it was two in the morning, and she had no intention of staying up the whole night. And it turned out that her body did not either.

"Rose, wake up!" Rose felt a hand shaking her. She slowly opened her eyes and then shut them again against the bright sunlight.

"What time is it?" She croaked, her voice heavy with sleep. She sat up, her neck hurting from having slept upright against the window.

"Eight on the dot, we're heading to breakfast in 20 minutes, want to come?" Leah said.

"Yeah. Thanks for waking me." Rose stood and stretched, feeling both refreshed and incredibly groggy. She and the other girls dressed, Rose relishing her robes. She grabbed her bag and they all hopped downstairs. When they reached the landing where the boys' and girls' dormitories separated she ran into Leo. Literally.

They collided as they both turned to walk down the last set of stairs.

"Sorry! You ok?" They both said at the exact same time. When each of them responded with a laugh, they turned and walked down the stairs together, jokingly jostling and bumping into each other.

"Hurry up!" Leah called, "we're going to be late for breakfast."

"Late for food?" Leo said, his face a mask of fear.

"The horrors!" Rose responded. They hurried the rest of the way down the staircase and into the empty common room, before following their classmates out into the corridor. Getting to breakfast was a lot easier today than it had been the day before. Rose could not believe that it had only been a day. She felt like she had been at Hogwarts for months, except for the fact that she kept experiencing new things. Like flying lessons.

After breakfast the Ravenclaw first years headed out into the autumn sunshine for their first ever flying lesson. Or at least their first ever Hogwarts flying lesson, Rose was the only one of them who had never been on a broom before (this was obviously discounting the many times she had run around the house with a broom between her legs pretending to play quidditch).

"Don't be nervous," Leo whispered as they walked towards the quidditch pitch.

"I'm not nervous," Rose shot back. Leo just shrugged and gave her a small smile.

In the middle of the pitch stood a short witch with bright purple hair, she wore Hogwarts quidditch robes, and she held a broom in one hand. In front of her were two rows of five brooms. She motioned for them to each stand next to a broom.

"Good morning Ravenclaws, welcome to the most fun you will have at Hogwarts. I'm Madame Aire and today I'm going to teach you how to properly ride a broom without breaking your neck. Flying is an incredibly important skill that every witch and wizard should know, and as such I take this course incredibly seriously, as should you." She placed her broom on the ground next to her. "Who here has ridden a broom before?" Nine hands went up. Madame Aire glance around, "ok, better to ask who hasn't been on a broom?"

Rose reluctantly raised her hand, she felt everyone staring at her.

"Not a problem, I'd never ridden a broom before I got to Hogwarts, and I ended up played professional quidditch."

"I knew she looked familiar!" Rose heard one kid whisper, "she played in the world cup for England a few years ago! Amazing chaser..."

"Now, despite that fact that you've ridden brooms before, that does not mean that you've ridden them properly and safely, so that's what we're going to focus on today: proper technique. And don't go flying off without me, the field's been bewitched to be bouncy, but I still don't want anyone falling."

Madame Aire held her hand out over the broom, and in an authoritative voice called out, "Up!" The broom jumped up and into her hand, as if drawn to it by an incredibly strong magnet. She motioned for them to follow her.

The air was filled with people shouting, "up!" over and over again. Leo succeeded in becoming the first student to secure his broom, and soon about half of them had each managed to will their brooms into their hands.

Rose concentrated and called "up!" Nothing happened, she did it again, this time more impatiently. And then she began to panic, what if the broom continued to ignore her and she was never able to fly.

"Everyone, just relax and take your time!" Madame Aire called out.

Rose took a deep breath. She imagined the broom flying into her hand, and with all her might she _pulled_ , willing the broom to meet her hand. "Up," she commanded.

The broom flew into her hand so quickly that she almost fell over, she had not been expecting the broom to actually listen.

A few minutes later everyone had successfully called their brooms, and they stood in their rows awaiting further instructions. Madame Aire swung her leg over the broom and placed both hands on the handle. She kept one leg firmly planted on the ground, and with the other she kicked off. She soared into the air, and came to float several meters off the ground.

"Notice how I'm sitting upright in order to stay still. The broom responds to your body movement: leaning forward makes the broom go forward, and leaning to either side makes the broom go in that direction. To stop simply sit up and pull up on the broom. Flying is fluid, it's about learning to communicate and work with your broom. Avoid jerky movements and extreme motions." She leaned forward and down slightly, and the broom slowly swooped towards the ground, when her feet were able to touch the ground Madame Aire pulled up and came to a stop. She dismounted and placed her broom back on the ground. "We're going to do this one by one, I can't keep track of ten riders at once. You!" She pointed at Leo, "you were the first one to get your broom, so you go first. What's your name?"

"Leo Rowan."

"Alright Mr Rowan. I want you to forget everything you've learned at home, and do what I did. Alright?" Leo nodded. He swung his leg over the broom and kicked off. He flew into the air, if a little less gracefully than Madame Aire had. He came to a stop a few meters away from the group.

"Now do a wide turn and come back over here." Madame Aire called. Leo slowly flew in a wide loop and came back. He landed in almost the exact same spot as he had taken off from. "Well done, well done." Madame Aire applauded Leo, and then calls on the next student. Each student successfully flew, but none is as good as Leo. Finally it is Rose's turn.

"Name?" Madame Aire asked.

"Rose Watson." Rose could feel that the nerves were back, butterflies beating around her stomach. She had never done this before, what if she fell or made a fool of herself? Or even worse, what if flying was not as good as she has always dreamed?

She took a deep breath and swung her leg over the broom. She clutched at the broom for dear life and kicked into the air. She rose unsteadily, the broom shaking slightly. She tried to relax and become one with the broom, but that was an incredibly difficult task considering that she felt like she was about to fall off. Slowly she flew until she was suspended above the heads of her classmates. She came to a shaky stop.

"Very good Ms Watson, now, I want you to slowly fly around the pitch." Madame Aire called to her.

Rose slowly leaned forward, nudging the broom to the edge of the field. She leaned farther still and the broom took off, zooming around the pitch. Rose leaned into the curves, steering the broom around the circumference of the field. Her long hair flew out behind her and she could hear the snap of her robes against the wind. She grinned, despite still feeling a little unsteady, she felt free. She was flying! Her whole life she had dreamed of doing this, and now it was actually happening. She gave a loud whoop and her classmates laughed. She slowed down and came to float near her friends.

"Great job Ms Watson, now for the tricky part: landing. Go slowly, and if you think you're going to fall or crash, pull up." Madame Aire called up to her. Rose nodded and concentrated. She leaned slightly forward, nudging the broom down to the ground. As she reached a low enough height that she could touch the ground she pulled up. She stumbled slightly as she landed, but recovered enough that she did not fall.

"Not bad for a first time flier," Leo whispered to her. Rose could only smile in response. Her butterflies were completely gone, and now she only felt excitement, and an intense itch to be up in the air again. She barely listened as Madame Aire gave them pointers and suggestions, all she could think about was being back on the broom with the wind whipping around her. She wanted to soar up into the clouds and never come down.

Madame Aire glanced at her watch and told them they could spend the rest of the class flying around the pitch. Rose hopped onto her broom and shot into the air, feeling more confident than the last time. She and Leo flew up into the air and circled the quidditch pitch, they flew through the quidditch hoops, loving the rush of wind in their faces. Rose almost fell a few times, as she was still getting used to the feel of the broom, but she was able to right herself without incident.

After way too short a time Madame Aire blew a whistle and told them to land, which they did so begrudgingly.

"As you all know, first years are not allowed their own broomsticks, but you may sign up to borrow broomsticks after class hours. There is a sheet on the message board in your common room. Good job everyone, and see you next week."

They all thanked Madame Aire and slowly walked back to the castle.

"Did it live up to your expectations?" Leo asked. Rose nodded vigorously.

"But how the hell are we supposed to concentrate for the rest of the day after that?"

 _Author's note: I'm aiming to post a chapter every Tuesday, but this may change. I'll keep you updated :)_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Rose wound her way around the pitch, climbing to soar through the goalposts before diving down to skim across the grass. She was still a little unsteady, but she felt a lot more confident since her first lesson. She had even gotten some compliments from other students out on the pitch. Rose smiled, relishing the feel of the wind in her hair and the snap of her robes beating against the air.

A whistle blasted through the autumn air. With a sigh, Rose descended and with only a slight stumble managed to land in front of Leo.

"Not bad for someone who's only been on a broom once." He commented as Rose handed him the broom.

"Thanks?" Rose said with a laugh. The whistle sounded again and Leo kicked off into the air. "Try not to fall off!" Rose called up at him. Rose went to take a seat on the side with the other students who had just finished riding. She watched as Leo and the other students flew around the pitch, she tapped her foot, itching to be back in the air. She wished that they had more than 30 minutes to actually be on the broom and flying. Rose wanted to go back inside, jealous of those flying above her, but she had promised Leo that she would wait for him, so she sat and ached to feel the wind in her face. She pulled out a book and began to read, soon enough she was completely engrossed, and was only wakened from her concentration by the sound of the whistle blowing.

"Brooms back inside, make sure you put them back in the right place!" Madame Aire called to them.

Leo landed near Rose and the two of them returned the broom and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. Rose's stomach grumbled.

"Flying sure builds up an appetite." Rose said. Leo nodded.

"I hope they have chips tonight."

Leo was in luck, as there were indeed chips at dinner. They filled their plates and ate in silence. Isabelle came and sat next to Rose.

"Heya Isabelle." Rose looked her up and down. Isabelle was dressed in blue and bronze quidditch robes. "I didn't know you play quidditch."

"I'm seeker," Isabelle responded as she piled food onto her plate. "Do you have any interest in quidditch?"

"I mean, I've only just learned how to fly, but yeah, I would love to play on the team."

"Well, keep practicing and try out next year. We're going to have a few people leaving so there'll be empty spots."

"That would be amazing." Rose knew that the quidditch team practiced every day, she would have given anything to be able to fly every day, instead of the few days a week she was allowed now. The table filled up, and soon the Great Hall was full of students eating and talking.

"You guys looking forward to Ravenclaw Rave tomorrow?" Isabelle asked.

"What's that?" Rose and Leo asked.

"The first Friday night of every month there's a party in the common room. Nothing crazy, they clear out the common room and someone brings out this giant gramophone and everyone dances and eats yummy food. It starts a little after dinner and goes until midnight. It's probably the one night where the Ravenclaws aren't all studying."

"Wow, that sounds amazing." Rose said. "Does every house do it?"

"Yeah. There's the Slytherin Soiree, the Gryffindor Gathering, and the Hufflepuff Happening."

"That's hysterical." Leo said with a laugh.

"Yeah, it's a lot of goofy fun. Ravenclaws aren't exactly known to be wild partiers, and the dancing is usually atrocious, but everyone always has a blast. And everyone goes in their pyjamas, so it's almost like a giant sleepover party."

"I've never so wanted it to be Friday."

Luckily, the old adage that "times flies when you're having fun" is indeed true. And even though Rose was in classes all day on Friday, they were all really interesting, so before she knew it, it was Friday night.

After dinner the Great Hall cleared out quickly, with all of the students rushing off to their respective common rooms to get ready.

Lizzie and Will, the fifth year prefects, were levitating chairs, sofas, and tables to the sides of the room. Some older students were charming small orbs to light up and float around the ceiling. A bright blue fire roared in the grate, casting the whole room in a pale blue light, making it seem like they were underwater. A table was set up in a corner with a giant gramophone, with a pile of records beside it. The desks had been piled with food: chocolate frogs and other sweets, crisps, and dips. A large bucket of ice was filled with bottles of pumpkin juice and other (non alcoholic) beverages. Upon seeing the food Leo moaned.

"Why did I eat so much at dinner?"

"Don't worry, you'll work up an appetite dancing," one of the older students said as she carried a bowl of fruit to the table. "The party also doesn't start for another hour, so you have some digesting time."

Rose looked down at her watch, "the party starts at 9?" She asked Leo. He nodded. "Do you want to get some work done before it starts?" They ran up to Rose's room and made themselves comfortable on her bed. Rose sat up against the headboard while Leo leaned against one of the four columns that held up the canopy. They opened their books and began to do the assigned reading for their classes. Luckily, Hogwarts professors understood the sanctity of the weekend and did not assign any essays for Monday. Rose had always been a quick reader, so she soon finished the small amount of reading she had been assigned. She picked up her wand and began practicing the spells that she had learned that week. Wingardium Leviosa had begun to feel like second nature to her, and she no longer needed to concentrate while performing the spell. Even turning a match into a needle had become easier with more practice. Now, she preoccupied herself with illuminating the tip of her wand.

"Lumos" Rose whispered, her wand glowed. "Nox," she whispered again, and the light went out. She continued to do this.

"Merlin's mongoose!" Leo shouted, "I cannot concentrate with that flickering, can you practice another spell instead?"

"Fine," Rose grumbled. She walked over to the door and closed it. She pointed her wand at the lock, "Colloportus" she murmured. She door latched, "alohomora" she whispered, and the door unlocked. She continued to perform the spells. Leo slammed the book shut.

"Ok, the party starts in two minutes, we should probably get into our pyjamas." He stood up and grabbed his bag, he pointed his wand at the door, "alohomora," he said and the door unlocked. As he walked through the door he turned to Rose, "meet on the landing in four minutes?" She nodded and closed the door behind him.

Rose opened her drawer and pulled out her favorite pair of pyjamas, they were turquoise with a pattern of books. She quickly pulled them on, and then slipped into her slippers. The door banged open and her roommates rushed in.

"The party's starting!" Leah called.

"Hurry!" Maria added. They each went to their beds and quickly dressed.

"Where've you been?" Leah asked Rose.

"Leo and I came up here to get some work done before the party. Where have you been?"

"We were downstairs watching them set up, it looks amazing." Leah responded.

"We're going to be late! Come on!" Maria called to them. They could hear music filtering upstairs. Everyone finished dressing and they ran downstairs. Leo joined them on the landing and they all went down together.

Rose's breath caught as she entered the common room. The whole room was bathed in a blue glow from the fire and the floating orbs. Small pinpricks of light that looked like fireflies levitated near the ceiling. The "dance floor" was packed with students, all in their pyjamas, and the air was full of the music and their chatter. Rose did not recognize the song that was playing, but she liked it just the same.

"Want to get some food?" Leo shouted to her over the sound of the music, his voice hopeful. Rose laughed and nodded. They shuffled around the perimeter of the room towards the food table. Leo grabbed a handful of crisps, and Rose took two a pumpkin juice for each of them. They stood on the side, watching the older students dance, none of the first years had joined the dance floor. They finished their drinks.

"Want to dance?" Leo asked, he wiped his hands on his pyjamas.

"I don't know how to dance, I'm horribly clumsy, I once tripped over thin air." Rose said, backing away from the dance floor.

"Come on, does it look like anyone here can actually dance?" Rose surveyed her classmates, Leo was right, everyone looked really silly, but also like they were having a great time.

"Fine." They edged onto the dance floor awkwardly moving their arms to the music. The song changed and suddenly everyone jumping.

"I love this song!" Leo shouted, "and it even has its own steps so you know what to do."

"I don't know what to do." Rose responded, her eyes wide. She looked around, everyone else looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. They all moved together, in time with the music. First places their hands on their hips, then jumping, then sliding, then clapping. She was reminded that she was not from this world, that there were things, like music and dances that were totally foreign to her. Things everyone else understood, but that were completely unknown to her. She made to walk off the dance floor. Leo caught her arm.

"Just follow my lead," he said with a smile. "It's really easy once you get the hang of it." Rose watched Leo, and he showed her every step. By the end of the song she was jumping and sliding and clapping with the rest of the Ravenclaws.

"Thank you." Rose turned to Leo after the song had ended.

"For what?" Leo looked puzzled.

"For teaching me how to dance to the song."

Leo smiled and shrugged, "my pleasure."

They spent the rest of the night eating and dancing and talking to their fellow Ravenclaws. By the end of the night Rose had met almost everyone in her house, and it was starting to feel a lot like home.

A little before midnight the door to the common room opened, everyone turned to see who it was. Professor Flitwick stood on the threshold.

"Hello Ravenclaws!" He called, his high voice carrying over the now-silent crowd. He walked into the middle of the common room. "I just wanted to see how the rave was getting on, and as is tradition, join you for the last song." The music started and again and everyone flooded the dance floor, dancing with and around Professor Flitwick.

"Am I going crazy or is the head of our house dancing to the _Macarena_ with a bunch of students?" Rose whispered to Leo, her face frozen in a disbelieving grin.

"This is the greatest moment of my life," Leo whispered back. "But why are we standing on the side, let's dance!" They joined the rest of their house, Rose glad that she knew the song and its accompanying dance. As the song ended everyone clapped.

"Everyone to bed!" Professor Flitwick called, "prefects, please clean up and get the common room back in order. Good night!" Everyone applauded Professor Flitwick, and then he exited through the door with a bow. Students trickled upstairs and to bed, glad they were already in their pyjamas.

As they walked up the stairs Rose turned to Leo, "for the first time in my life I'm not sure if I'm glad it's the weekend."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"Well, I love our classes and learning magic, and I'm not sure I want to go two days without learning any new spells."

"You could always teach yourself out of our books. And we have access to the brooms for most of the day tomorrow."

"Ok, in that case I'm really glad it's the weekend." Rose said with a smile.

 _A day earlier than promised :)_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 _December_

"It's snowing!" Rose called to her roommates. She sat by the window, writing to Ben when the first flakes began to fall. Everyone rushed from the their beds to the windows, they pushed their noses up against the glass and gazed down onto the grounds and the slowly thickening snow.

"Well, what are you all waiting for!" Leah called, "let's go outside!" In a tumble of limbs and cloaks and boots they hurriedly dressed and ran out the door. Rose pounded on the door to the boys' room.

"Guys, it's snowing!" She shouted. The door opened to reveal Leo, already dressed for the weather. He grinned at her.

"I was just about to come get you."

The Ravenclaw first years ran down the stairs in a hurry to get outside. In the common room they bumped into some older students also on their way out. The group expanded as they made their way down through the castle, meeting up with students from different houses. They rushed out as one group into the thickening snow.

Rose twirled around, her eyes closed and her gloved hands outstretched. She stuck out her tongue to catch some snow. A snowball hit her in the back of the head. She whirled around and saw Leo, smirking, with another snowball ready to launch. Rose stooped down and quickly packed some snow into a ball before hurling it at Leo's grinning face. It hit him on the nose and he dropped his snowball and spluttered, wiping the icy coldness from his face.

"You're going to regret that!" He shouted to her.

"Don't make promises you can't keep!" She responded gleefully as she threw another snowball, this one hitting him in the shoulder. His next shot hit her in the stomach, and she was thankful that her woolen cloak had been charmed to be waterproof.

All around them, other students were making their own snowballs and lobbing them at friends. Soon, an all out snowball fight had broken out. There were no sides, everyone simply hurled snowballs at anyone in reach.

Rose threw herself to the ground and began to make a snow angel, and was soon joined by a few other students. In the distance a bell rang and students began leaving the courtyard en masse. Rose stood up and brushed herself off.

"Where's everyone going?" She asked a Slytherin first year, who shrugged.

"Hot chocolate!" Someone called out. They followed the crowd to the Great Hall. The house tables had been removed and replaced with two long tables on each side of the room. Students milled around, warming their frozen hands on mugs of hot chocolate and butterbeer which they had taken from the tables.

Rose grabbed a butterbeer, but was too nervous to take a sip. What if it was not as good as she had always imagined? Last Christmas she and Ben had tried concocting their own butterbeer from a recipe they found online and it had been horrible. What if even real butterbeer was not actually good? She took a deep breath and raised the mug to her face. It smelled delicious, like happiness and cozying up in front of a fire. She tentatively took a sip and smiled. It was delicious, it tasted like butterscotch and caramel that had been melted into warm milk, and there was a spiciness to it. She raised her head and Leo started laughing at her.

"What?" She asked, annoyed.

"You have a whipped cream mustache."

"I'm saving it for later." She said as she licked her upper lip. "This is the most delicious thing that I have ever consumed," she said, her voice full of amazement. She took another sip.

"You've never had butterbeer?" Leo asked, incredulous.

"Leo, they don't just sell butterbeer at the corner shop in the muggle world."

"Oh right, I sometimes forget you're muggle born. You know, you seem so at home here."

Rose jumped at Leo and hugged him, taking care not to spill their hot drinks.

"What was that for?" Leo asked, but he smiled.

"What you just said. I, well," Rose took a deep breath, "I sometimes feel like I don't belong here."

"That's ridiculous." Leo said as he shook his head. "You're by far the most talented kid in our year, magic just kind of _happens_ for you. You belong here and fit in here, so stop worrying."

"Thanks Leo," Rose said with a small smile. "It means a lot."

The students of Hogwarts spent the rest of the weekend frolicking in the snow (yes, they truly frolicked, there is really no other word to describe it better). There were two more snowball fights, a great deal of snow-wizard making, and more butterbeer drinking. But the best part, at least in Rose's opinion, was flying in the snow.

In the past few months Rose's flying had improved immensely, she no longer stumbled as she landed, and she was always completely steady when she was up in the air. In flying class they had started learning to play quidditch, so she had learned how to fly while also throwing and catching a quaffle.

By the time Sunday rolled around the blizzard had let up and the snow was falling lightly. That day's quidditch match was canceled and the students were given a few hours of free flying time. Rose waited eagerly by the side of the quidditch pitch, willing the minutes to go faster so that she could take her turn.

Madame Aire's whistle blasted through the frozen air, and the students who were flying descended, before handing their brooms off to those next in line. Rose kicked off, glad to be back up in the air. She felt so much calmer when she was flying, as though leaving the ground left behind any worries or stresses that usually plagued her.

Snowflakes flew in her face and stuck in her eyelashes, but she did not care. She breathed in the frigid air and sped around the pitch, rising to fly through the goalposts before spotting Rose Weasley and Al flying nearby. Rose zoomed down to join them. Just before she reached them, a Gryffindor first year flew by her, almost knocking her off her broom.

"Excuse me!" Rose called after her. The girl, Briar, who Rose recognized from class, turned around and sneered.

"Maybe you should watch where you're flying." Briar said with a shrug.

At this moment Al turned around. "You ok Rose?" Al asked, his voice full of concern.

"All good over here, Al, thanks!" Rose smiled at him as she flew over to him, her smile disappearing "She tried to knock me off my broom, what was that about?"

"Don't mind Briar," Al answered. "She's a terrible flier, she probably just misjudged a turn and accidentally bumped into you."

Rose Weasley joined them and all flew towards Leo, who was weaving through the goalposts. He saw them and stopped, waving them over.

"I saw these kids flying low and then dropping into the snow, want to give it a try?" Leo asked.

"That doesn't sound very safe." Al said with a frown.

"It'll be fine, the snow is really deep and soft. It'll be like falling on a giant cushion." Leo said. They flew lower, until they were pretty close to the top of the snow drifts. "Who's going first?"

"I'll do it!" Rose said. She swung down from the broom so that she was just hanging by her hands. With a deep breath she let go. She only fell a few metres, and the snow cushioned her landing. She stood up and looked skywards towards her friends. "That was amazing!" She jumped up and caught her broom where it floated in midair. She pulled herself up and reseated herself on the broom. She watched as Leo and Rose Weasley both dropped into the snow. She flew over to Al. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"I know, I know. But I'm a Gryffindor, I should be brave enough to jump." He said bitterly.

"Bravery has nothing to do with jumping off of brooms, it's the willingness to face danger, to put yourself on the line to help others. It's not about doing silly feats of daring-do."

"Count on the Ravenclaw to drag up the dictionary definition of bravery." Al said with a smile.

"I just speak the truth."

In the silence that stretched forward as Al decided whether or not to take the plunge, Briar unsteadily flew over, almost falling off her broom in the process.

"You really shouldn't do it Al, it's not safe."

"Thanks Briar, but I think I'll be ok." And with that, Al took a deep breath and gripped the broom before swinging his legs off. With one final glance at Rose, he dropped. Briar flew off in a huff.

Al landed with an "oof." He quickly stood up and brushed snow off of his cloak. "That was not as bad as I was expecting." He got back on his broom and they bobbed several metres above the snow. A shrill whistle filled the air.

"There's no way it's already been 30 minutes." Leo said incredulously.

At that moment Madame Aire swooped over to where they were hovering.

"What possessed you four to do something as unsafe as dropping from your brooms?" She asked, her mouth set in a scowl.

"We saw some other kids doing it, Madame Aire, and we wanted to give it a try." Rose Weasley said.

"Other people's idiocy does not excuse yours. If I see you doing it again I'm banning you from the pitch. Clear?" They all nodded sheepishly. "Alright, off you fly." Madame Aire said before she flew away.

"Whoops." Rose said with a laugh. "At least she didn't deduct any house points." Rose was paranoid about getting points taken from Ravenclaw and had so far managed to avoid such a fate. On the contrary, by December, Rose had even managed to gain over 30 points for Ravenclaw due to her skill with her wand in the classroom.

"Come on, we only have twenty minutes left, let's fly!" Leo called to them.

Before they flew off, Rose saw Briar floating unsteadily nearby, and Rose had the sinking feeling that she had pointed them out to Madame Aire.

But Rose brushed it off and joined her friends. Al made a large snowball which they threw to one another as they flew. Little chunks kept breaking off of it, but they continued to play with it until it was too small.

When Madame Aire's whistle blew they all resignedly handed off their brooms before getting butterbeer in the Great Hall.

"I can't believe it's almost Christmas," Al said, his head bowed over his mug. "Are you excited to go home?"

"Very, I can't wait to see my family and my friends from home," Rose answered. "But I also kind of wish that I could stay here for Christmas, it seems like it would be so fun."

"Why don't you stay?" asked Rose Weasley.

"As soon as I got my Hogwarts letter my parents made it very clear that I would be coming home for Christmas, something about missing me too much."

"How ridiculous, parents missing their children, I've never heard of such a thing," Leo said with a laugh. "Maybe we'll all stay one year, when we're older and our parents have gotten used to the idea of us being away."

"That would be awesome, so few people stay that we'd practically have the castle to ourselves." Rose Weasley said.

"Think of all of the adventures we could have." Rose said, her face breaking out into a huge grin.

By Monday morning the snow had stopped falling, but the Hogwarts grounds remained blanketed in a thick layer of powdery whiteness. The first year Ravenclaws and Slytherins trudged through the knee-high snow to the greenhouses for Herbology.

Professor Longbottom presented each of them with a miniature Christmas tree and taught them how to graft other smaller plants onto it in order to create living ornaments. There were golden vines that wrapped around the trunks and small multicolored bulbs that grew into the evergreen leaves.

"There's nothing incredibly functional about these plants, and they have no healing properties, unlike the flora we've been working with the past month. But Christmas is coming up, so I figured we would do something fun instead," Professor Longbottom had told them.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" Scorpius asked Rose, who started, surprised that he was even speaking with her. Even though they had often worked next to each other during class (Professor Longbottom had made them stand next to people from the other house in order to foster inter-house bonding), they had never really spoken beyond 'can you pass me the hoe?' or 'Mondays are the worst.'

"I'm going home, just going to be with family." Rose responded as she carefully attached an orange bulb to her small tree.

"Where's home?"

"Oxfordshire."

"I didn't know there was a wizarding community there." Scorpius said with interest as he wrapped silver vines around his tree.

"There isn't, at least not that I know of. My family are all muggles, my parents are professors at Oxford University." Rose said.

"I didn't know you were muggle born," he responded, surprised.

"Do you think less of me now?" Rose joked.

Scorpius' face turned serious, "Not at all, why would it?"

"I don't know, aren't Slytherins really obsessed with being pure-bloods and whatever?"

"I mean, some are, but not everyone. It doesn't matter to me. My dad always taught me that it doesn't matter where you come from, but what you do."

Rose was stunned, Draco Malfoy had taught his son that being a pure-blood didn't matter? "Well I'm glad to hear that." Rose said with a smile. "What are your doing for Christmas?"

Scorpius told her is plans for the holiday, and then they just kept chatting, about classes and friends and books they had read. Rose was surprised to see how nice he was. She had assumed that the only child of Draco Malfoy would be obnoxious and a bit of a prick, but that was not the case. It turned out that Scorpius loved to fly, and Rose told him to come and fly with her, Leo, Rose Weasley, and Al, an invitation which he heartily accepted.

Like Herbology, the entire day had a slight Christmas bent to it. Earlier, Professor Flitwick had taught them a charm to shoot little golden lights out of the end of their wands in order to decorate a tree or a room. Everyone was getting into the holiday spirit. Even Professor Damocles, who was often sullen, had focused their lesson on Christmas, teaching them how to make a potion to help with stomach-aches from too much food. Professors had even let up on assigning work, and Rose finished the day with only a few chapters of reading.

After finishing up said reading, Rose and Leo walked down to dinner. The Great Hall was sparsely populated. Rose looked down at her watch.

"Where is everyone? We're not even early." Rose looked around, confused.

"Tonight's the Christmas ball, so all of the older students are probably getting ready."

"That's tonight?"

"Yeah, night before we leave for the Christmas holiday."

"How is the term almost over?"

"Time flies when you're having fun," Leo said with a smile.

"It sure does."

"It looks magical" Rose said in amazement. Leo was about to laugh until he glanced over and saw Rose's expression. Her eyes were wide and bright and she looked so calm and happy, that he stopped himself from making fun of her word choice.

They stood in the Great Hall, staring up at the ceiling, which had been enchanted to look like outer space, complete with swirling galaxies and gleaming stars. The walls had been hung with shimmering fabric that rippled in the light from thousands of candles that floated around the room. All of the tables had been removed to create a giant dance floor in the centre of the hall. Where the staff table usually sat, a small stage had been set up. The stage was filled with an orchestra of instruments which had been charmed to play themselves. They stood, without musicians, and tuned themselves. The bow moved across the strings of a cello, and keys on the piano tinkled in the background, a flute whistled through the air. Each corner of the room was occupied by a giant Christmas tree that practically reached the ceiling. Each had been decorated with tinsel, ornaments, and lights of a house's color. Rose's eyes were drawn to the Ravenclaw tree, which was strewn with bronze ribbons and tinsel, and had hundreds of ornaments in different shades of blue hanging from its boughs. A large bronze eagle crowned the tree and seemed to survey the beautiful scene.

Rose and Leo would soon have to leave the hall, as only students in their fourth year or older were allowed to attend, but in the meantime they stood with some of the younger students and looked at the hall in awe. Rose had always imagined that the Yule Ball had looked something like this: the hall completely lit up and suffused with a sort of magical quality. And although this was not the Yule Ball, only the Christmas Ball that Hogwarts planned every two years, it was just as exciting, especially with the knowledge that in a few years Rose would be able to attend herself.

"First, second, and third year students, please exit the Great Hall!" Professor Flitwick's voice squeaked out over the small crowd of students. "You may stand out in the corridor and watch the older students enter in with their finery, but you may not be in the Great Hall. Once the older students have arrived you should go back to your common rooms or the library." Professor Flitwick paused, "on second thought, it's your last night at Hogwarts before the Christmas holiday, you really should not spend it in the library." The students laughed at this as they slowly edged their way out of the hall.

The large Hogwarts clock began to chime eight, the deep gong echoing throughout the castle. As the bell rang its final chime students began trickling down the stairs.

The first couple down the stairs was the head girl who held the arm of her date. She wore flowing lavender lace robes and her curly hair had been coiled on top of her head and was pinned up with small diamond pins. Her date wore dark blue robes with silver embroidery that made the robes look like the night sky. Two sixth year boys in coordinated green robes walked behind them holding hands. They were followed by a rush of students, some in couples, others in small groups. Rose had never seen such beautiful clothes, everyone's robes were beautifully embroidered or decorated. She even saw one girl with a pattern that moved as she did.

The music in the Great Hall began as the rest of the students entered the hall. The younger students hung around the door and peaked inside, eager to see the festivities within. Before they were ushered away by professors, Rose saw the students twirling around the dance floor, engaged in a complicated dance in perfect time to the music. Everyone was coordinated, besides for a few students on the periphery, who obviously each had two left feet. They moved in a blur of bright colors and sparkling lights, carried on an ocean of music.

"Up to the common rooms!" Professor Adair said. She hurried the younger students towards the staircase before re-entering the ball.

"Our first ball will be," Leo paused to quickly count, "when we're fifth years."

"I don't know if I can wait that long." Rose let out a sigh.

"If you're lucky someone older will ask us when we're third years."

"That's the dream." Rose said with a laugh.

Rose knocked on Ben's door, excited to be home and buzzing with excitement to see her best friend. A strange face answered the door.

"May I help you?" The woman asked. Rose looked around, she definitely had the right house, but who was this woman?

"I'm looking for Ben, Ben Young." Rose replied.

"Oh, didn't you know? The Youngs moved away last month. His mother got a position at Harvard University, in America. Sorry my dear."

Rose stumbled away from the door, reeling, how had Ben moved away without her knowing? She ran home, trying to find a phone, but she did not know his number. She frantically ran around the house trying to figure out what to do.

Rose jerked awake, breathing heavily. She lay back down, staring up at the canopy of her bed. It had just been a dream, she knew that Ben would be accompanying her family to King's Cross, he had told her so in his last letter. She let out a deep breath, willing morning to arrive sooner.

Rose rolled over, and in the strange way of dreams, she woke up seemingly a few minutes later, but in reality morning had already dawned. The small case she had packed and deposited at the foot of her bed had been magicked away in the middle of the night. The Great Hall had been returned to its pre-ball state, and was full of students. The younger students chatted animatedly amongst each other, sharing their holiday plans. Those who had attended the ball the night before ate groggily, shoveling food into their mouths and taking large gulps of coffee or tea.

Professor McGonagall stood up and clapped her hands. A hush fell over the hall.

"As you go home for the Christmas holiday I remind you that you are representatives of Hogwarts even when you are not here. As such, I expect each of you to comport yourselves in a way which would make us proud. And of course, I hope you each have a wonderful holiday, and I look forward to seeing all of you in two weeks time."

The students shuffled out of the hall and donned their warm cloaks. Carriages pulled by thestrals (which were invisible to Rose's eye) brought them to the Hogsmeade station. Rose and Leo found a carriage on the train and then went out onto the platform to find Rose Weasley and Al. Leo spotted them and waved wildly. They trotted over to them. The four of them climbed onto the train and walked to their carriage. As they were about to enter the carriage Briar appeared and put out her hand to stop Al.

"Al, aren't you sitting with us?" She asked.

"Oh, hello. I'm actually sitting here." Al gestured to where the Roses and Leo sat.

Briar screwed up her face, "Oh, you're sitting with them." She stared at Rose and Leo, "I thought you'd be sitting with the rest of the Gryffindors."

"Nope, I'm sitting here."

"Oh, suit yourself." Briar flipped her long black hair and stalked off down the corridor, turning at the last moment to shoot Rose a dirty look.

"What was that about?" Rose asked as Al sat down.

"I have no idea, I think she's upset that I'm not sitting with her. But it's not like I said that I would." Al shrugged, "people are weird."

"Truer words have never been spoken." Rose Weasley said with a laugh.

As on the train ride to Hogwarts, Rose was excited and a little nervous. On this trip she knew what awaited her, and she was so excited to see her family and friends, but she was also a little worried. What if it was weird being with her friends, she had barely kept in touch with anyone besides for Ben. And what if it was awkward with Ben? Rose did not think she could handle that.

She sat, ignoring the conversation around her, half focused on the landscape as they sped by, but mostly wanting and dreading to arrive. When they finally arrived Rose tentatively hopped onto the platform. They were ushered off of Platform 9 ¾ and out into the crisp December air where they were set to meet their families in the carpark.

Rose looked around, trying to find a familiar face in the crowd, she turned around and was met with the smiling face of Hermione. She swooped over and embraced Rose Weasley before bestowing a hug on Al and Rose.

"Welcome back! How are you all doing?"

"Great!" They all chorused.

"Have you seen my family?" Rose asked Hermione. Just as she finished her question the crowd parted and she saw, standing in a huddle, her family and Ben looking wildly around. She waved her arms. "Watson family! Ben!" They turned and saw her, their faces lighting up.

Rose ran towards them and was immediately engulfed in a family hug. They pulled back and Ben, with a huge grin asked, "so, how's Hogwarts?"

"Absolutely magical."

 _Author's note: as I'm sure you've astutely noticed, we've done a bit of a time jump here. But don't worry, the upcoming letters between Rose and Ben will span the missing months. I'll hopefully start posting those in the next week or so_


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Come on Ben." Rose dragged him towards the small knot of family that surrounded Rose Weasley and Al, "There are a lot of people who you need to meet." The circle opened to allow Rose and Ben to enter. "Ok, Ben, meet Rose, Al, James, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Lily and Ginny." Ben waved to everyone, obviously overwhelmed.

"Hi Ben, it's so nice to meet you." Rose Weasley stepped forward and shook Ben's hand. "We've heard a lot about you."

Ben smiled. "Same here. It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

"Where's your family?" Hermione asked.

"Over there." Rose pointed to her family, who saw her and began walking towards them. Ash said hello to Hermione and was introduced to everyone else. "Where's Leo?" Rose asked Al, who shrugged. Rose looked around, trying to find Leo's face in the crowd. Finally, she spotted him, standing next to a man who must have been his father. From their floppy brown hair and dimples, to their bright blue eyes, and even the way they stood- confident, but relaxed, they were practically identical.

"Leo!" Rose waved furiously. Leo turned and smiled before walking over with his father. Introductions were made, and it turned out that Leo's father, Matthew, worked with Hermione at the Ministry.

"Where's your mum?"

"She couldn't take off from work, she's a healer at St Mungo's. We're going away for Christmas, so she needs to be there all day."

Matthew looked down at his watch, "Leo, we need to get going if we're going to be up north in time. We're driving to the Lake District." He offered by way of explanation.

"Driving?" Harry asked, "that's certainly quite the trip."

"My family are muggles, so they aren't connected to the floo network. Luckily the drive is rather beautiful. And then Thea, my wife, is going to apparate up after she's done with her shift."

"Sounds like fun, have a great holiday." Harry said. Leo said his goodbyes, quickly hugging Rose Weasley and Al. He turned to Rose

She hugged him, "Happy Christmas Leo."

"Happy Christmas Rose, keep an eye out for an owl on Christmas morning."

"Now I'm excited. Have a safe drive!" Leo and his father walked away, pulling Leo's case behind them. Before they walked out of sight Leo turned around and gave Rose one final wave.

"I'm hungry," James groaned.

"How about everyone comes over for an early supper?" Ron asked.

"Sounds great." Ginny replied.

Rose turned to her parents, "can we go?"

"I'm not sure if we should impose on their hospitality." William said

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you're welcome to come!" Ron cried, "you were included in the 'everyone.'"

"In that case, I don't see why not." Charlotte said with a laugh.

The three families each piled into their cars, planning to meet at the Granger-Weasley residence. Rose sat in the car, squashed between Ben and Ash, and there was nowhere else in the world she would have rather been.

"I just met Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, as well as all of their children." Ben said in amazement. "And now I'm going to go have dinner with them in the home of Ron and Hermione." He stuck out his arm, "pinch me, I think I'm dreaming."

"Tell me about it, I've been walking around in a fog for the past few months, convinced that it was all in my head."

"Tell me everything!"

"I basically told you everything in my letters. Hmm, what haven't I wrote to you about?"

"I don't know, because you haven't told me it."

Rose swatted Ben, "shut up." Her eyes lit up, "I haven't told you about the ball."

"There was a ball?" The whole car asked.

"It was amazing! I mean, I didn't go, but I saw the Great Hall and everyone all dressed up. They had instruments that played themselves!" The three kids sat in the back chattering away. William turned to Charlotte.

"It's good to have her back home," he said. Charlotte nodded and glanced back at the trio in her rearview mirror.

"I haven't seen the boys look that happy in a while."

The Watson's car arrived last, and Hermione greeted them at the door. "Come on in, Ron is quickly throwing something together." She ushered them in, leading them into the living room where everyone else was sitting.

"What can we help with?" William asked.

"Ron apparated from the station, so he's been here for a while and has everything under control, but can I get you something to drink?"

"Do you have butterbeer?" Rose asked.

"There's some in the kitchen, you remember where it is?" Hermione said. Rose walked Ben and Ash to the kitchen, where Ron was orchestrating the assembly of dinner. A large pan boiled on the stove, and a wooden spoon occasionally stirred it. A knife chopped vegetables near the sink, and Ron waved his wand at the oven, which opened to accept a baking dish that flew in from the counter.

"Am I allowed to be seeing this?" Ben asked, his eyes wide.

"Oh yeah, it's fine." Ron said from his position by the kitchen table. "I'm an adult, and you know about the Wizarding World, so neither of us will get in trouble."

Ash stood stock-still, his head swiveling on his neck, trying to see everything. "What's that amazing smell?" He asked, "it smells like happiness."

"Butterbeer, want some?" The three of them nodded wildly. Ron fetched three mugs from a cupboard and filled the mugs from the bubbling pan. "Don't burn your tongues, it's scalding." They tentatively blew on the hot liquid, which had the color of liquid gold. Ash decided to brave the heat, and took a small sip. His face eased into a smile and his whole body relaxed.

"Oh my god," Ash said with his eyes closed, "this is amazing."

Ben lifted the mug and took a sip, his response mirroring Ash's. "I just want to go swimming in this forever." Rose laughed at them as she drank her butterbeer, but then stopped as she realized that she was making the same face as her brother and best friend. She was amazed that as often as she drank butterbeer it was still exciting.

"Alright, everyone out, I don't want anyone getting smacked in the head by a flying pan of pasta." Ron said to them as he walked them to the door of the kitchen, "go hang out with everyone else."

When they reentered the living room they found Charlotte in deep conversation with Hermione, Rose overheard something about feminist themes in _Jane Eyre_. William was sitting in between Ginny and Harry and looked as happy as a clam at high tide. He was animatedly explaining to them his work on the Oxford badger census. Ginny looked bemused, but Harry was completely enraptured by William and his stories about chasing badgers across meadows with old-fashioned butterfly nets.

"Do you have pictures?" Harry asked, his eyes wide. William pulled out his mobile and showed Harry some pictures of badgers and his team, complete with butterfly nets and pith helmets. "This is the greatest thing I have ever seen, can I help out next year?"

"Sure," William said with a laugh, "we'd love to have you on the team."

"Mum, Dad, you need to try butterbeer, it's amazing!" Ash said as the three of them re-entered the room.

"There's butterbeer?" Charlotte disentangled herself from her conversation with Hermione at the mention of the beverage.

"I'll get us some." William made his apologies to Ginny and Harry, who continued to look through William's pictures.

A few minutes later William shuffled back into the living room carrying two steaming mugs. His face was slack and his eyes were wide and staring.

"Are you alright my love?" Charlotte asked, her face a mask of concern.

"Did you try the butterbeer, Dad?" Rose asked with a laugh.

"The kitchen, it's like something out of _Beauty and the Beast_. There's cutlery and crockery and food flying through the air."

"What?" Charlotte asked. "I have to see this." She excused herself to go watch what was happening in the kitchen. She emerged a minute later, her face matching her husband's. "That was incredible." She collapsed onto the couch, "I can't believe it." She turned to Rose. "Can you do all of that?"

"Some of it, I can levitate things and open doors and close them, but I don't know how to enchant knives to chop things yet."

"Our daughter can do magic." Charlotte said in amazement. "I thought I had wrapped my head around all of this, but apparently not."

William handed a mug to Charlotte, and they clinked mugs. "Cheers"

"Just wait until you try butterbeer," Rose said with a smile. She watched as her parents each took a small sip, watched as they each relaxed into the couch cushions, and watched as their faces split into giant grins.

"Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better." Charlotte said as she took another sip.

"We need this recipe." William said. "I will become Ron's apprentice and learn his mighty ways."

At this, Ron appeared, "Dinner, lunch? Whatever this is, is served!" They all trooped into the dining room, Harry stopping at the bottom of the stairs to call up to Hugo and Lily to come down to eat.

They sat and chatted and ate, each enjoying the food and being reunited with family. It was odd, Rose felt like she had not seen her family and Ben in a lifetime, but at the same time she felt like she had never left home. She looked around the table and smiled, knowing that at this moment there was nowhere in the world she would rather be, not even on a broomstick.

After the dishes had been cleared and washed with the help of some charmed soap and sponges, the Potters and Watsons rose to leave. Rose hugged Al and Rose Weasley, wishing them a Happy Christmas. She accepted a hug from Hermione and Ron, and waved to Harry and Ginny. And then they were in the car, and she was sandwiched between Ash and Ben, and they were going home.

Rose had never realized that her house had a smell, because after living there her whole life she had simply gotten used to it and never noticed. But on entering her house after a few months absence she realized that her home did indeed have a distinct aroma. It smelled like books and soil and freshly baked bread, but even more than all of those distinct smells, it just smelled like home.

Rose took a deep breath, relishing the feeling of being back. She walked into the living room and went to put Darwin's cage on the table, except the table was gone. In its stead, a tent had been set up. Rose turned to her parents.

"Why is there a tent in the living room?"

"Well, I'd reckon it's rather too cold to go camping outside, but we figured that you and Ben would want to have a sleep-over tonight, so the living room seemed as good a place as any." Charlotte said with a smile.

"Brilliant Mum." Rose said. She turned to Ben, "pyjamas and then reconvene in 20?" Ben nodded emphatically before running out the door.

Rose walked up to the attic with Darwin, waiting for the light to turn on, until she remembered that she was no longer at Hogwarts, where rooms were enchanted to become illuminated when entered. She backtracked and flipped the switch, bathing the room in light. She opened Darwin's cage and then the window, watching him swoop out of the small window. Rose had always been jealous of birds and their ability to just fly off, but now, Rose thought with a smile, she could do the same. She quickly showered and changed into pyjamas before running downstairs. She kept on looking around, noticing small details that had changed in her time away. There were new cushions on the couch and a new bookshelf in the corner. A large bouquet of paper flowers sat on the kitchen table, next to a large stack of books (though this was nothing new).

Charlotte and William sat in the kitchen, William was reading and Charlotte was scribbling furiously in a notebook. They both looked up when Rose walked downstairs.

"Any plans for tonight?" Charlotte asked as she put down her pencil.

"I haven't seen a film in ages, so maybe we'll watch one."

"Alright, you can borrow my laptop if you want."

"Thanks Mum."

"Come over here." Charlotte stretched her arms out to Rose and enveloped her in a hug, "I'm so glad you're home." She ran her hand over Rose's head. "Do you want me to plait your hair?" Rose nodded and ran upstairs to get her hairbrush. Charlotte sat on the couch, while Rose sat on the floor in front of her. "I've missed this." Charlotte said as she brushed Rose's hair.

"Same." Rose turned around and smiled at her mother. "I missed you."

"It's definitely good to have you home."

They heard a knock on the door, followed by Ben opening it. He took his coat off and kicked off his boots. He wore pyjamas and carried an overnight bag, which he dropped by the couch.

"What're you doing Charlotte?" He asked as he came to sit next to her.

"Plaiting Rose's hair, want to learn how to do it?"

"Sure."

Charlotte slowly showed Ben the steps, explaining what to do, before letting him try.

"Oi, be careful you don't kill my hair!" Rose said with a laugh.

"I will try my hardest, and I'm sure your mum will save you if it gets out of hand." Ben said. He slowly began to plait Rose's hair, letting Charlotte guide him. When he was done he had managed to create a respectable enough plait.

"Well done Ben." Charlotte said with a laugh, "you've just learned an important life skill." She looked at her watch, "Will, let's get to bed."

William looked up from his book, "roger that my love." They stood up. "One more hug before bed, Rosie." Rose clambered to her feet and embraced her father. "It's good to have you back." He and Charlotte walked to the stairs, "have fun you two, don't stay up to late."

"Good night Mum and Dad."

"G'night Charlotte and William."

"Good night Rosie, love you. Night Ben"

Ben turned off all of the lights downstairs, and Rose fetched ice cream and two spoons from the kitchen. They wriggled into the tent, which had been filled with pillows and blankets. Ben flicked on the torch and upended it, so that the small light illuminated the whole tent. They sat, facing each other, not saying anything. Because they didn't have the words to tell the other how supremely happy they were in that moment, to be back together again. He was her best friend, and she was his, and there was nothing in the world like being reunited.

Rose forgot about watching a film, and was completely absorbed into just talking with Ben. They had written countless letters, but there was something very different about actually being together. A silent fear had hung in the air that their friendship would not have withstood the physical and emotional distance that had stretched between them those past few months. Because that distance had only been traversed by Darwin, and it was not until they were back together that they finally breathed a sigh of relief- glad that the distance between their two worlds was not insurmountable afterall.

 _Author's note: sorry I'm a day late, I've been living without wifi. The letters between Ben and Rose are in the works!_


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Rose awoke to the smell of pancakes and the sound of William banging around the kitchen. She disentangled herself from the cocoon of blankets and poked Ben.

"Wake up sleepyhead." She sang in his ear. Ben groaned and rolled over. Rose grabbed the blanket and ripped it off of him.

"Ah! So cold, so sad, so sleepy," he murmured.

"But there are pancakes!" Rose said. Ben cracked one eye open.

"Pancakes?" He asked as he sat up. They clambered out of the tent and blinked as their eyes adjusted to the bright winter light streaming through the windows.

"They live!" William called as he saw them emerge from the tent. "How did you sleep?"

"Too short." Ben mumbled.

William laughed, "would pancakes help wake you up?" Both children nodded eagerly. Rose ran upstairs to fetch Charlotte and Ash while Ben laid the table. The five of them sat down to eat the pancakes.

"What are your plans for today?" Charlotte asked after taking a sip of tea.

Rose turned to Ben, "I was thinking of going to the library to see Professor D, go for a bike ride, and then see everyone else from school. Sound good?"

Ben nodded. "Sounds perfect."

After finishing breakfast and helping with the washing up Rose went upstairs, while Ben ran home, to get dressed. They separated, planning on meeting outside of Ben's house.

"Dress warmly!" William called after them, "it's below freezing outside."

Rose looked through her drawers, hunting for a warm jumper, but the only one she could find was too small. She settled on wearing a longsleeved tshirt and a sweatshirt. She donned her coat before pulling on warm boots, gloves and a hat. She jammed a bicycle helmet on top of her hat, and grabbed her bike from the front garden.

She peddled down the road, feeling a little unsteady. Rose smiled to herself, thinking that she was now more comfortable on a broom than she was on a bike. Ben stood outside of his front gate, one leg on the pedal, the other resting on the ground. As Rose came into sight he swung onto the bike, pushing up. They peddled side-by-side, their breath misting in the frozen air.

Rose pulled open the library door, and was greeted by a blast of warm air. Ben followed her inside, and they walked over to Professor D's desk. He looked up and spotted the children. His face broke into a large smile.

"Hello there Ms Watson, welcome back. Hello Mr Young."

"Hi Professor D" they chorused.

"How are you enjoying your new school Ms Watson?"

"It's amazing!" Rose said with a big smile. "But I missed being here."

"Yes, there's really nothing like coming home. Though I'd imagine that being off in the Highlands of Scotland is rather magical."

Rose could not be sure, it happened so quickly, but she could have sworn that she saw Professor D wink at that last word.

"Yes, it really is." Rose said slowly, trying to gauge Professor D's reaction. "I'm learning a lot."

"What is your favorite subject?" Professor D asked.

Rose stopped herself right before she could blurt out "Transfiguration." She swallowed the word and said instead, "I really love my literature class, the teacher actually studied here at Oxford."

"Ah, who is it?"

"Simon Bell, do you know him?"

"I do indeed, a very talented student. He's an enchanting personality if I remember correctly." Professor D said with a twinkle in his eye.

"He's really cool."

"Meeting friends?"

Rose nodded, "everyone is really nice, though I obviously miss people from home."

"Of course, that's very natural. But now for the most important question, and I will end my inquisition. How is the library?"

"Amazing." Rose said as her eyes lit up. "There are so many books, they seem to go on forever. I could spend a thousand lifetimes there and never finish half of them. And they have these really comfy chairs, and it's so cozy." She paused, "you would really love it there Professor D."

"Yes, I rather think that I would."

After accepting an armful of books to read over the Christmas holiday, Rose and Ben set out, cycling around Oxford. They visited their favourite museums and had lunch at a small cafe where the owner knew them by name. Since it was too cold to read outside, they retired to the Museum of Natural History to read amongst the dinosaur bones and taxidermy bears. As the light coming through the large glass ceiling began to wane, they headed out into the frigid weather. Peddling fast to keep warm, they reached their street in record time. They stopped in front of Ben's house.

"Everyone is coming over around 8:30, so do you want to get there a little early?" Ben asked her. Rose nodded, and they parted, Rose cycling quickly to her house.

Rose was greeted by a sickly sweet smell that emanated from the kitchen.

"Dad?" Rose called out as she kicked off her boots. "What is that smell?"

William stood by the hob, stirring a large pan. The countertop was littered with bowls, spilt milk, and opened bags with their contents sliding out. William wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "I am attempting," he said as he whisked vigorously, "to recreate Ron's butterbeer." He paused, "it is not going well."

"What did you put in it?" Rose asked, slightly horrified by the mess in the kitchen, and the smell that wafted towards her.

"Cream, butterscotch sauce, caramel sauce, and some root-beer. Which appears to have been a mistake."

"It sure smells like one."

William threw his hands in the air. "I give up! I'm going to have to wait to get the recipe from Ron." He looked around the kitchen at the mess he had made, "if only I had a wand to wave that would clean all of this up. Luckily I have something better."

"Yeah?"

"A loving child who doubles as free labour."

Rose groaned, but moved around the kitchen and cleared up the mess William had made."

William looked down at his watch. "And I need to get dinner cooking, any requests?"

Rose thought for a minute. "Pizza! They don't make pizza at Hogwarts."

William widened his eyes in mock-horror. "No pizza? How have you survived these past months?"

"It has been a constant struggle," Rose said with a laugh. Rose finished the washing up as William pulled homemade pizza dough and tomato sauce out of the freezer. He grated mozzarella cheese into a bowl.

"Can you put on some music?" William asked Rose as he sliced onions.

Rose picked a record from the large stack and carefully fit it into the turntable in the corner of the room. From the speakers came the thrum of guitar and clash of drums. "I have missed the Beatles." Rose said as the music filled the room. "I don't think anyone besides for the muggle born kids know who they are."

"What is this backwards place your mother and I sent you to?" William cried, pretending to be horrified.

"Honey, I'm home!" Charlotte's sing-song voice called from the door.

"Speak of the devil," William said with a smile.

"Hi Mum! We're in the kitchen." Rose hollered.

"It's freezing out there." Charlotte said, she rubbed her hands together to force feeling back into them. "What's for dinner?" She asked as she gave Rose a quick hug and William a kiss."

"Pizza!" Rose said with a grin.

"Delicious." Charlotte said. "Tea anyone?" William nodded, and Charlotte put the kettle on and readied two mugs.

Charlotte sat next to Rose at the kitchen table as she sipped from her steaming mug of tea. "What have you two been up to today?" She asked.

"Ben and I went to the library to get books and see Professor D." Rose answered. "And he also knows Professor Bell."

"That's right!" Charlotte said, "I completely forgot that Professor D was heavily involved in his dissertation. I also just can't believe that my student is not only a wizard, but is teaching you magic. This is all so incredible."

"Yeah, I'm only just starting to get used to all of it, and I'm actually living at Hogwarts."

"How are you adjusting?" Charlotte asked, her brow wrinkling, "you seemed very happy in all of your letters, but that can be misleading."

"It's hard some days, like when people start talking about something that I just totally don't understand. I know nothing about wizard music or pop-culture, they talk about current events that mean nothing to me. But I'm learning so much and I love it. My friends are great, the professors are awesome. And flying, Mum, I can't even explain how phenomenal it is."

"William," Charlotte called, "is it bad as a parent to be jealous of our daughter?"

"Nope!" He responded, "and even if it is, I'm jealous too, so we're in it together." They all laughed.

"What's everyone laughing about?" Ash asked as he walked downstairs.

"The fact that Mum and Dad are bad parents because they're jealous of their daughter." Rose said with a smile.

"That definitely does make them terrible parents." Ash said with a smile, "but that fate can be reversed if dinner is yummy."

"We're having pizza!" Rose almost shouted.

"Parents are definitely forgiven then." Ash laughed.

The four of them moved around the kitchen, each doing their part to get dinner ready. Charlotte laid the table while Rose chopped vegetables for the salad. Ash made a vinaigrette as William assembled the pizza. Soon, the whole house was filled with the aroma of melting cheese and baking dough.

It was not until she was in the kitchen with her family that Rose realized how much she had missed them. She smiled at her parents' chatter about the mundane details of their day and the way Ash sang along (albeit badly) to the music. They moved seamlessly around each other, and it was like no time had passed. Dinner was the same blend of wacky stories and intellectual conversations that Rose remembered and missed. Charlotte updated them on the new book she was writing, and William informed them on some new plans for that Spring's badger census. Ash told the family that he was teaching himself Spanish and that he wanted to go to Spain. And Rose just sat there, taking in her family. She relished their silly jokes and just being in the same room as them. And she thought, that as much as she missed Hogwarts, it was good to be home.

Rose sat at Ben's kitchen table and bounced her leg up and down. Ben stood by the hob making popcorn, while his mother stood in the background, making sure he did not burn the house down.

"Why are you nervous?" Ben asked.

"I'm not nervous." Rose quipped, stopping her leg mid bounce.

"Yes you are. So I want to know why."

"Because what if it's weird. And awkward and I just don't get along with the others anymore?"

"You're still the same person Rose, and you've only been gone a few months, not years. It's going to be totally normal."

It would have been nice if Ben had been right.

The evening had started off well enough, there were hugs and "it's so nice to see you!"s and fistfulls of popcorn eaten between questions and answers. But time and time again Rose found herself not being able to tell the truth.

"So what's it like? Don't leave out any details." Her friends said. And she could tell her friends some details: that her school was in the Scottish Highlands, that her teachers were all really interesting ,and the people were nice. She could say that she had four roommates and her room overlooked a lake. But that was all unimportant detail, she could not tell them what it felt like to have the wind blow in your hair while riding a broomstick. She could not talk about feeling power surging through her and seeing herself change something or move something or create something. When she vaguely told them about not belonging she simply said that the students there came from different backgrounds than she did, that they were posher and a lot of their parents worked for the government, because that was all she could say.

"What's your favourite class?" Nicole asked. Rose wanted to answer "Transfiguration," but just said "literature."

"Is there a football team?" Stephen asked. The answer to this question was no, Hogwarts only had Quidditch teams, but that was not really something that Rose was able to tell her friends.

She was able to talk about her new friends, not providing Rose or Al's surnames, and not correcting her friends when they assumed that Al was short for Albert. She was not able to tell them that she was a Ravenclaw or that she had recently befriended Draco Malfoy's son. She stopped herself from blurting out "I'm a witch and I go to Hogwarts." She hated not telling them the whole truth and felt like her secret was going to explode out of her.

Not only was Rose not really able to tell her friends what was going on at her school, she barely understood what was going on at theirs. There were all of these funny stories that they kept laughing about, that Rose did not get. New classmates who they had become friends with who Rose did not know. Even though these were her closest friends, she felt like a stranger.

"Remember when Freya said "there are lots of different _farts"_ instead of _parts_?" Anna asked.

But Rose did not remember this instance, because she had not been there. She did not even know who Freya was.

Ben was the only one who noticed when she slipped away and went upstairs. He found her sitting on his bed, her nose in a book that she had found on his desk.

"You ok?" He asked, moving to sit beside her.

"Yeah, no, I don't know." She let out a deep sigh. "I feel like I don't belong again. I feel that at Hogwart sometimes because I'm muggle born. People talk about things and I just feel stupid because I don't know what they're talking about. And now I feel it here because I'm a witch. I'm lying to everyone, and I can't really talk to anyone."

"Rose, it's not that bad-"

"Yeah it is Ben. I don't know what everyone is talking about and I can't tell them what's happening in my life. I'm just not part of their world anymore."

"Well," Ben said as he put his arm around Rose. "You'll always be a part of my world, and I'm pretty sure that I'll always be a part of yours."

 _Author's note: I know it gets a little hokey at the end, but I can't help it, I just love Rose and Ben and their cuteness._

 _Tune in next week for Christmas extravaganzas! There will be surprise presents, butterbeer, and William and Charlotte getting tipsy!_

 _And, tune in later today for the first installment of Rose and Ben's letters. They'll be posted under a new story called_ Letters from Hogwarts.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

"Ron? Hi, it's William Watson, Rose's dad...I'm great, how are you?...Oh that sounds lovely...I actually have a question about the recipe, what type of alcohol do you think I should add to give it a kick?...Brilliant. Thanks so much Ron, Happy Christmas." William hung up the phone. He turned to Charlotte, who was sitting at the kitchen wrapping Christmas presents. "How absolutely smashing is it that I just called Ron Weasley on the telephone to ask for help on butterbeer recipes?"

"That is rather fabulous," Charlotte said as she placed a bow on top of a box. "How is it tasting?"

"Come try a bit." William ladled a small amount of the steaming golden liquid into a mug and handed it to his wife.

"Oh my," Charlotte said as she took a sip. "That's going to be quite a hit at the party."

"I hope so." William glanced at his watch. "We have two hours until the masses descend. What more do we need to get done?"

"The tree is decorated, the presents are wrapped, the food is cooked, the drinks are delicious." She surveyed the kitchen and living room, which had been strewn with fairy lights and tinsel. A Christmas tree covered with homemade ornaments and glass orbs stood in the corner. Charlotte added the presents she had wrapped underneath it. "I think for the first time in the history of humanity we have actually finished preparing for a party before it started."

"It's a Christmas miracle." William said with a laugh.

Two hours later and the party at the Watson's was in full swing. Charlotte and William's families had driven in and their friends and coworkers from Oxford were also in attendance. The conversation ranged from talk of politics and current events, to literature, and science. Rose sat in a corner with Ben, Ash, and her cousins. They ate from plates balanced across their knees, and consciously avoided knocking over the drinks that stood by their feet. Charlotte and William stood in the middle of the living room, laughing and socializing with their guests.

"How is it that Mum and Dad are so nerdy yet so sociable?" Rose asked Ash.

"Science is completely baffled." He answered with a laugh. "Also, interesting how the nerdy genes have been passed on, without the social butterfly qualities."

"Very true."

"You guys aren't horrible antisocial, you have some friends." Ben said as he sipped his butterbeer.

"True, but can you see us standing and commanding an entire room. Look at them," Rose gestured to her parents, "they're so talkative, it doesn't make sense."

"You do make a fair point." Ben responded.

"And spiked butterbeer doesn't hurt them being social." Ash said with a laugh.

"Your parents aren't the only ones enjoying it." Ben gestured to his mum.

"William, this is delicious," Ben's mother said as she took a large sip. "Where did you get the recipe?"

"Oh, I found it on google, but I'd be happy to send it to you." William turned to Rose and gave her a wink.

"Alright, before we begin the annual tradition of karaoke, I wanted to make a little toast." Charlotte said as she walked to stand in front of the fireplace, where a small fire crackled merrily. She beckoned to William, who walked over to stand next to her. She swayed a little as she lifted her glass, and she held on to William's arm. "And lesson for next year, high heels and alcohol are a dangerous combination." Everyone laughed.

"We want to thank all of you for being in our lives, and for making the trek to our little abode to celebrate with us. For us, the holidays are all about family and friends, and we're so blessed to know all of you. Thank you to my parents and sisters for being supportive and kind and wonderful. My children who I look at and am amazed that they are so smart and nice and caring, though that is mostly to do with my husband." Charlotte turned to look up at William, who looked at her with a large smile. "You are an amazing husband and father, and my best friend, I don't know what I did to deserve you," here Charlotte's voice cracked and she swiped away a tear, "You know I'm not the crying type, it's the Bailey's I tell you!" Everyone laughed again. "But anyway, I love you all so much and am so glad to see you all on this wonderful Christmas Eve. Let's get a round of applause for William, because the food, and drink are phenomenal."

Everyone applauded.

"And I'd like to reiterate everything Charlotte said, thank you all. And I'm glad the boozy butterbeer was a hit, I'd be happy to share the recipe with everyone. And thank you to my wonderful wife, who organized all of this, you are a marvel. And let's get started, I've had the perfect amount to drink: just enough to be willing to sing in front of friends and family, and not too much that I just want to go to sleep. Someone get the laptop!"

The laptop was brought out and placed on the coffee table in the living room. Charlotte and William pulled up their predetermined song and began to sing. Their off-key crooning used to embarrass Rose, but now she loved it. It made her happy to be with her family and see her parents who so obviously loved spending time with one another.

"I've. Had. The time of my liiiiiiife!" Charlotte and William belted out, each held a glass of butterbeer and the other's hand. "Don't worry, we're not trying the lift." William said with a laugh. They finished to a loud round of applause. They both bowed, trying not to fall over.

"We're going to sit down before we trip." Charlotte said as she led William by the hand to a free place on the couch.

Rose sat and watched her family and friends sing. Not many people were great singers, but everyone was having a great time, which made it all amazing. Rose and Ash finished off the night with "Bohemian Rhapsody," and got everyone to sing along.

As everyone left, the four Watsons stood in the doorway and waved goodbye to everyone.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight."

Rose's eyes flew open as her brain leapt into consciousness. It took her a moment to re-orientate herself and realize that she was not at Hogwarts, but at home. She hopped out of bed and ran down the corridor to brush her teeth. Before she could scurry downstairs, she bumped into her parents and Ash, each emerging from their bedrooms.

"Happy Christmas!" They all cried out to one another before sharing a family hug at the top of the stairs. They descended together, and stopped in front of the tree.

"Santa didn't visit in the night, but someone sure did." William said as he surveyed the tree. In the night, more packages had been added to the pile Charlotte had made the day before. Judging by the trail of soot that went from the chimney to the tree, and the small claw marks stamped in the ash, the packages has been delivered by owl, via the chimney, sometime in the middle of the night.

"Oh my, I wonder who those are from." Charlotte wondered.

"Probably Leo, he said he was sending me something." Rose answered.

"Well, as exciting as that is, you know the rule: no presents until after breakfast."

William put the kettle on while Ash laid the table. Charlotte filled a pitcher with water and Rose fetched yoghurt, milk, and granola.

They sat around the circular table, quietly munching. Ash and Rose ate with the goal to open presents as quickly as possible, and Charlotte and William drank tea to alleviate their headaches from the night before.

After what seemed like ages, they all finished their breakfasts and went into the living room. Each person grabbed a gift with their name on it from under the tree, and the four of them sat in a circle on the floor.

Charlotte opened her gift first, it was a lavender cashmere scarf from William. "Thank you my love," she gave William a kiss as she wrapped the scarf around her neck. "It's beautiful, and so soft."

William's first present was an illustrated copy of Darwin's _On the Origin of Species_. He opened it and flipped through the pages, his eyes lighting up.

Ash received a voucher for Spanish lessons, and the promise that one day they would go to Spain.

The first present Rose picked up was a lumpy package that had been delivered in the night. She unwrapped it and found a note.

 _Dear Rose,_

 _Although we haven't actually met yet, from everything I've heard of you, you already sound like family. And family always get jumpers for Christmas. I hope it keeps you nice and warm._

 _Much love,_

 _Molly Weasley_

Rose ripped off the rest of the paper to reveal a bright blue jumper with a bronze 'R' knit on the front. She jumped up, "Mrs. Weasley knit me a jumper!"

She danced around the living room, only pausing long enough to slip the jumper over her head. It fit perfectly.

"Wait. Mrs Weasley? As in Molly Weasley, badass mother of Ron Weasley?" William asked in astonishment.

"The one and the same! I can't believe she knit me a jumper, this is the most amazing thing ever!"

They paused the present proceedings long enough for Rose to write a thank you note to Mrs. Weasley and send it off with Darwin.

They opened the rest of their presents, none really able to compete with the jumper from Mrs. Weasley. Rose had gotten William and Charlotte a bumper sticker that read "My child is a student at Hogwarts," which she had found online. And Rose had given Ash a pile of wizarding sweets and a Beatles poster for his room. From Leo, Rose received a famous wizarding novel that her friends were always talking about. The attached note read:

 _Dear Rose,_

 _I thought I'd get you_ The Sinister Sisters _so you can continue to feel like you are part of this world._

 _Happy Christmas,_

 _Leo_

And somehow, that was even better than the jumper.

"Open it, open it," Rose bounced on her bed as Ben held the small package in his hands. He slowly opened the box, trying not to tear the wrapping paper. Inside was a sheaf of parchment emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest. There was also a large white quill and a bottle of bright green ink.

"Is this real parchment?" Ben asked in wonder.

"Yup! Official Hogwarts stationary. I figured you could use it for writing letters, or notes or anything."

"It's amazing." Ben gave Rose a hug. "Thank you. Now, you open your gift."

Rose opened the small box to reveal a snow globe with the Oxford skyline contained within it.

"You've mentioned in your letters that you miss Oxford, so I figured this was a good way to bring it back with you to Hogwarts."

"Thank you Ben, I love it." She hugged him tightly. "I wish there was a way for me to bring you along with me."

"Alas, I think I'm too big to fit into your trunk."

"Ah well, thank heavens for Owl Post."

 _Author's note: The song Charlotte and William sing is "The time of my life" from the film 'Dirty Dancing'._

 _This story is going to have a break for a week or so while I focus on the letters from Rose and Ben. This is being published under a story called "Letters from Hogwarts."_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Rose! Rose!" Lily shook her older cousin awake. "Get up, it's time to open presents!"

Rose rolled over with a groan.

"Nan made fresh cauldron cakes for breakfast." Lily said as she poked Rose's shoulder. At the mention of food Rose cracked one eye open. "And, there are tonnes of presents downstairs that need to be opened." Lily pulled the duvet off of Rose, who slowly sat up.

"What time is it?"

"Presents time!" Lily called as she bounded out of the room. Rose hauled herself out of bed and followed her cousin down the stairs.

The living room of The Burrow was filled with the entire Weasley, Granger, and Potter clans, as well as assorted non blood related friends. Victoire Weasley sat on an armchair with her legs draped in Teddy Lupin's lap. Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander chased their young twin sons around the room. Rose's parents sat curled around each other on one of the sagging couches, Hermione's head resting against Ron's chest. Ginny and Harry emerged from the kitchen, each levitating a platter of cauldron cakes in front of them. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley followed them with two large trays of tea.

"Breakfast first, and then presents." Mrs. Weasley reminded her family and friends with a smile.

Everyone ate quickly, washing their breakfast down with gulps of hot tea.

"Alright everyone, you know the rules: one present at a time, and put the wrapping paper in the bin, not strewn all of the floor." Mr. Weasley called out to the multitudes. Everyone turned to the slightly crooked tree, and the presents lying beneath it. Because there were so many people in attendance, the pile of presents was almost as high as the tree.

Everyone under the age of twenty surged forward, rifling through the large stack of presents to find one with their name on it. Rose scooped up a rectangular package and carefully opened the blue paper. Inside she found a notebook with a leather cover with a pattern of leaves embossed along the edge. The card read, "Instead of buying you more books we thought we'd give you the tools to write your own. Love Mum and Dad." Rose jumped up from her spot on the rug and hugged her parents.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love it!" She paused, her brow furrowing. "But what should I write about?"

"Anything your heart desires." Ron said with a smile, "though I do feel that not enough has been written about your parents, so that could be a starting point." Ron and Hermione laughed.

"Would it be rude if I went upstairs and started writing?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Hermione laughed. "Wait until all of the presents are open before you ask Nan if you can excuse yourself."

"Fine," Rose said with a sigh. Her eyes lit up, "now it's your turn!"

"You should open that one first," Ron pointed at a small package wrapped in periwinkle wrapping paper.

"It's a mirror..." Hermione said slowly.

"Yes," Ron said with a smile, "look into it." As Hermione looked into the mirror, and at her own reflection, Ron took out a matching mirror from his pocket and held it up in front of his face. Hermione almost dropped the mirror. She stared at Ron and then back at the mirror.

"Is this a two way mirror?" She asked excitedly. Ron nodded with a smile.

"You spend so much time at the Ministry, and I spend so much time at the office, and I don't understand mobile phones, so I figured that this would be a nice way check in with each other throughout the day. My day will be so much easier to get through if I can hear your voice and see you smile every once in awhile."

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, you are the most thoughtful man I have ever met." Hermione leaned forward and kissed Ron.

"Ew," Rose muttered and looked away.

"Oh hush Rosie, if your mum and I didn't love each other you wouldn't be here." Ron said with a laugh.

"That thought somehow makes it worse," Rose muttered.

"Alright," Hermione clapped her hands, "your turn Ron." She pointed to a square package wrapped in green paper near the edge of the pile of presents. Ron disentangled himself from his wife and the couch and picked up the present. Unlike his wife, Ron quickly ripped off the paper to reveal a red leather photo album. The words " _Hermione + Ron, 1991-" were embossed on the cover with gold letters._

"What's this then?" Ron asked with a smile.

"Open it." Hermione responded. Ron slowly opened the album, on the first page Hermione had written:

 _My Dearest Ron,_

 _You are my best friend and the love of my life. I know it took us quite a while to realize that second fact, but I think that these photographs show that that love has always been there. Here's to many more photo worthy moments._

 _Love,_

 _Hermione._

Ron slowly turned the page and saw a photograph of himself and Hermione sitting next to each other in the Great Hall. In it Hermione was laughing and leaning towards Ron, while he was turned towards her, his eyes bright and a look of admiration plastered across his features.

"That was our second year, I couldn't find any photographs of us from before then because Colin Creevey hadn't arrived at Hogwarts yet, he took most of these photographs," Hermione said.

"But how did you get them?" Ron asked in amazement as he flipped through the album.

"I sent an owl to his brother asking if I could look through his old photos, and it turns out he had tonnes of the two of us. You know how he was always taking photos of Harry, and we often got into them too. I may have cut Harry out of some of them." Hermione said with a laugh.

"This is brilliant," Ron said as he smiled at Hermione, his face mirroring a photograph of the two of them sitting under a tree during their third year.

"That one is my favourite." Hermione pointed to a photograph from their fourth year. It showed the two of them engaged in a snowball fight. Harry and the Weasley twins could be seen in the background pelting each other with snowballs. In the foreground Hermione was walking towards the camera, leaving her friends to their game. The photograph also showed her turning and smiling at Ron. Ron stood several feet behind her, watching her walk away. He looked after her wistfully, his eyes clearly showing that he did not want her to leave, but as Hermione turned, his smile mirrored hers and he waved.

"That was the afternoon of the Yule Ball." Ron said in amazement, "While it's no excuse, it definitely explains why I was such a git-I was head over heals in love with you and couldn't stand seeing you with someone else."

"Yes, you were a git," Hermione said with a laugh, "but you're my git, and luckily it's all seemed to have worked out."

Fin

 _Author's note: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile (a long, long, while, I've been really busy with finishing university and starting a new job. I read "The Cursed Child" and it turns out that this story has gone totally off-canon, which stopped be from updating for a while. Also, because we're now so off-cannon I've decided that this story will be put on indefinite hold. I'm hoping to start a new HP fanfic, work allowing, so stay tuned!_

 _Thank you everyone who read and reviewed, this has been an amazing experience. And favourite me if you want to keep up with my future work!_

 _Also, message me if you want to know how everything was going to end, or if you have ideas or requests for my next project. xx_


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